by Dr. Phyllis Books, DC
We all agree good nutrition is important, and it’s vital for us as parents to create excitement and pleasurable feelings around food for our children. They see healthy attitudes toward food at home first, and what they learn there will stay with them throughout their lives.
One common trap parents fall into is substituting food for love, and children will notice that. Many children who feel isolated and different find comfort in eating, which can cause weight or self-esteem issues later.
Here’s where you get to exercise your Mama Bear or Papa Bear caring—your muscle as the parent in charge. Yes, you get to the boss here! And you get to play and teach at the same time. Modeling healthy eating can be easy, not just for a month or two but as a lifestyle change, and the great benefit to you is that you’ll probably take better care of yourself too.
Following are some easy and fun ways to teach your kids about nutrition.
• Get kids involved in reading labels. Have them watch for sugar (especially high-fructose corn syrup), monosodium glutamate (MSG), and hydrogenated oils.
• Have kids sort out fresh carrots and celery into little snack bags. Or sort out sunflower and pumpkin seeds, nuts, raisins, and cranberries into little baggies. My grandchildren call these little bags “friendship food.” Shop together in the bulk bins at the store.
• If you want to get ambitious, buy a food dehydrator and make your own fruit rollups and beef or turkey jerky. Kids love to be involved in these kinds of projects.
• Start a kitchen garden and grow an avocado from the pit. Grow your own parsley or mint. Grow your own veggies on your patio (www.earthbox.com). In former generations, children worked in the garden. Today, kids think broccoli comes from the freezer or grocery store, so involving them in the food chain helps them see the bigger picture.
• Teach children how to sprout. It’s terribly simple: just get a glass quart jar and some mung beans or red lentils. Those two beans sprout very quickly. Cover with water for 8–12 hours and then rinse with water twice a day. In less than two days, you’ll have cute little tails on those beans. The nutritional value of sprouted foods absolutely skyrockets. Try them raw, or add to a salad or pasta dish. Eat them with a little healthy dressing or just toss them in granulated garlic, olive oil, and a pinch of sea salt.
• In the produce aisle, have the kids choose vegetables of various colors. Having different color foods on the table each night is a great way of getting good nutrition and variety into your food.
• Start a kids’ food club. Invite the kids in your neighborhood over for food and fun dates. Have kids create the snacks such as veggie boats or popcorn balls. Have a fun outdoor activity planned also.
Having fun is paramount, because you want your kids to have a positive attitude toward food. What do you do to teach your kids about nutrition?
Dr. Phyllis Books, DC, is a teacher, doctor, grandmother, and developer of Books Neural Therapy™, a natural, non-drug intervention for children with dyslexia and other learning and behavior issues. Her clients call her a combination of a neurosurgeon, a psychiatrist, and Mother Teresa. Mostly, she loves sharing what she’s learned about kids, how they learn, and how they can feel good about themselves and be successful. Support@ReversingDyslexia.com (512) 560-7888, drphyllisbooks.com and reversingdyslexia.com.
We all agree good nutrition is important, and it’s vital for us as parents to create excitement and pleasurable feelings around food for our children. They see healthy attitudes toward food at home first, and what they learn there will stay with them throughout their lives.
One common trap parents fall into is substituting food for love, and children will notice that. Many children who feel isolated and different find comfort in eating, which can cause weight or self-esteem issues later.
Here’s where you get to exercise your Mama Bear or Papa Bear caring—your muscle as the parent in charge. Yes, you get to the boss here! And you get to play and teach at the same time. Modeling healthy eating can be easy, not just for a month or two but as a lifestyle change, and the great benefit to you is that you’ll probably take better care of yourself too.
Following are some easy and fun ways to teach your kids about nutrition.
• Get kids involved in reading labels. Have them watch for sugar (especially high-fructose corn syrup), monosodium glutamate (MSG), and hydrogenated oils.
• Have kids sort out fresh carrots and celery into little snack bags. Or sort out sunflower and pumpkin seeds, nuts, raisins, and cranberries into little baggies. My grandchildren call these little bags “friendship food.” Shop together in the bulk bins at the store.
• If you want to get ambitious, buy a food dehydrator and make your own fruit rollups and beef or turkey jerky. Kids love to be involved in these kinds of projects.
• Start a kitchen garden and grow an avocado from the pit. Grow your own parsley or mint. Grow your own veggies on your patio (www.earthbox.com). In former generations, children worked in the garden. Today, kids think broccoli comes from the freezer or grocery store, so involving them in the food chain helps them see the bigger picture.
• Teach children how to sprout. It’s terribly simple: just get a glass quart jar and some mung beans or red lentils. Those two beans sprout very quickly. Cover with water for 8–12 hours and then rinse with water twice a day. In less than two days, you’ll have cute little tails on those beans. The nutritional value of sprouted foods absolutely skyrockets. Try them raw, or add to a salad or pasta dish. Eat them with a little healthy dressing or just toss them in granulated garlic, olive oil, and a pinch of sea salt.
• In the produce aisle, have the kids choose vegetables of various colors. Having different color foods on the table each night is a great way of getting good nutrition and variety into your food.
• Start a kids’ food club. Invite the kids in your neighborhood over for food and fun dates. Have kids create the snacks such as veggie boats or popcorn balls. Have a fun outdoor activity planned also.
Having fun is paramount, because you want your kids to have a positive attitude toward food. What do you do to teach your kids about nutrition?
Dr. Phyllis Books, DC, is a teacher, doctor, grandmother, and developer of Books Neural Therapy™, a natural, non-drug intervention for children with dyslexia and other learning and behavior issues. Her clients call her a combination of a neurosurgeon, a psychiatrist, and Mother Teresa. Mostly, she loves sharing what she’s learned about kids, how they learn, and how they can feel good about themselves and be successful. Support@ReversingDyslexia.com (512) 560-7888, drphyllisbooks.com and reversingdyslexia.com.
