Leading {Eating?} by Example
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I can picture the scene already, even though it’s likely years from happening. Our baby’s not even here yet, and I’m already worried about what he/she is going to eat. The first couple months, or year, if everything goes well, will be easy. I’m planning on breastfeeding and doing everything I can to make it work.
Don’t start squirming, this isn’t going to be a post about that.
It’s about what happens after that. When the baby can eat real food. When the toddler can make decisions about what goes in his or her mouth. When the child is being fed by someone else.
It’s the last one that really gets me. I’m terrified of leaving my child with someone and having them feed them bologna or potted meat {hey, I live in the south}, or feeding them milk too early.
It’s no secret that I think what you put in your body makes a huge difference. A difference in how you feel, a difference in how your body works, and a difference in your health. I also believe in balance, and making the best choices most of the time- not all of the time. But how do you teach a child that? Or a caregiver, without sending mixed messages?
Heck, even the husband and I have different views on food. Will we raise our child vegetarian, or no? He’s not vegetarian, so that could get interesting. As much as I’ve tried to teach him about healthy eating over the years, there’s still a lot he doesn’t know- or doesn’t care about. It doesn’t bother me at all- everyone gets to make their own decisions about their health, but when it comes to a child, we both need to be on the same page.
The best way I can think of to do this? By example. We don’t need to wait until we have a child to start working on the habits we’d like to instill in him or her. We can start now.
Being healthy and promoting family wellness doesn’t have to be hard:
Make healthy snacks as easily accessible as unhealthy ones. Why do we reach for the bag chips? Because it’s easy to open the cabinet, stick your hand in a bag, and be rewarded with a satisfying crunch. Well, carrots and celery are crunchy too- if they’re already sliced up and in an easy access container {and visible!} in the fridge, they’re suddenly as easy of a snack as potato chips.
Create a balance. Veggie sticks can be made a lot more appealing if they come with a fun dip. Try peanut butter, ranch, or hummus for veggies, or caramel, fruit yogurt, or fluff dip for fruit.
Make it meatless. Regardless of your style of eating, shoot for at least one meatless meal a week. If that’s easy for you, try one meatless meal a day, or more. Cutting back on meat, even occasionally, improves your health and helps your budget. Teaching your family that food can taste good even if it’s not the traditional plate of meat and potatoes will go a long way.
Don’t be too strict. So you’ve had nothing but whole grain cereal, veggies, fruit, and beans all day. Why not have dessert? There’s nothing like being to strict or feeling confined in your diet to make you go off kilter and indulge in everything in sight. Dessert, or another indulgence, is perfectly healthy, as long as your getting the nutrients you need the rest of the day.
Eat at the table. We fail miserably here. We used to be better, but one meal on the couch leads to another, then another. Eating at the table is not only good for your waistline, it’s good for your kids too. When you sit down at the table to eat, your telling your body and your brain to focus on your meal, which keeps you from mindlessly over eating. It also shows your kids that meal time is important, plus gives you a chance to catch up as a family.
Make it a group effort. This works better with kids than it does husbands, but if you can get yours onboard, go for it. Involve your family in the entire cooking process- going to the grocery store, making menus, and preparing meals. It helps them learn more about the foods they’re eating, instead of just having a plate appear in front of them three times a day. I’m certain dragging my husband to the grocery store and having him see me make decisions on what to buy is one of the things that contributed to him switching to soy milk without a word of insistence from me.
How do you keep your family healthy? How do you handle other people feeding your kids things you don’t want them to have?
Don’t forget to help Walgreens help others! Visit their Facebook page here to learn about their charitable partners and decide which cause Walgreens will donate to with a quick vote. I was selected for this sponsorship by the Clever Girls Collective, which endorses Blog With Integrity, as I do.
