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Saying "Yes!" to healthy food and "No!" to not-so-healthy is sometimes easier said than done.
December 15, 2009
Jackson’s Lunch:
As parents, we do what we can to protect our children from before the moment of conception until…well, maybe until the moment we die. Even then, we hope our lessons live on with them.
As a prospective mother, you likely took prenatal vitamins so that when a fetus eventually began to grow it would have all the nutrients needed to begin necessary development. You likely continued taking those vitamins throughout your pregnancy in hopes of giving the fetus the strongest, healthiest start possible.
You probably avoided things that could possibly harm your baby—alcohol, soft cheeses, maybe even hair dye. Once your baby was born, you made sure he was warm so he didn’t get sick. You made sure to take him for regular checkups. When he cried, you made sure he wasn’t sick or hurt, and did all you could to make him happy.
We, parents, make it a special point to get our children to the doctor for their annual physicals. We make sure they are up-to-date on the safest possible vaccinations. We check and double check that they are strapped into their car seats correctly (or have them checked by an authority on the subject). You remember to check and change the batteries in the smoke detectors. Maybe some of you even fuel up your car before picking your children up at school. And you avoid taking your kids to restaurants or relatives houses where smoking is permitted.
Why is feeding our kids any different? I don’t want Jackson eating foods with additives that may be harmful when I go to great lengths in so many other areas to ensure his safety. Why do we think that if something tastes good it couldn’t possibly be bad for us? Why is it so hard to say no to something when our kids like it? We would never allow our pediatricians to try out experimental drugs on our children, so why do we allow food companies to feed them things which have severe effects in the long-term (like trans fats or too much sugar)?
I’m guilty of it, too. I feel bad always saying no to sugary cereal. Jackson begs for things like pre-packed lunch entrees while I sound like a broken record: “No, it isn’t good for you. No, it isn’t good for you.” I try explaining my reasons, but a four-year-old doesn’t always get it. It’s a daily challenge, but I’m trying to stand my ground.
Jackson turns five on Friday. I scheduled his five-year-old checkup for Thursday. He will be grocery shopping with me after his appointment. Maybe instead of, “No, it isn’t good for you,” I’ll try, “Let’s find a healthier option,” and see how that works. Then, we’ll have birthday cake and ice cream.
Whenever possible, I choose whole foods over processed.
December 11, 2009
When I first began packing a lunch for Jackson, it was out of necessity. He was attending a wonderful pre-school and Mother’s Day Out program at Aurora United Methodist Church in New Orleans (we love you guys so much!). Two days a week, he stayed into the afternoon for extra play time, but parents were responsible for sending a lunch since lunch wasn’t served. The teachers were the first to comment about the lunches I was sending (one teacher even admitted to me that she had tasted Jackson’s lunch one day!). Then parents started saying positive things, too. I was delighted that people took notice and appreciated the lunches I sent.
Fast-forward a year: We are no longer in New Orleans, and Jackson attends a pre-K program where lunch is served everyday. Lunch is served, but I felt compelled to continue packing Jackson’s lunch. I’ve already told you I like having control over what Jackson eats, and packing a lunch for him, even though a school lunch is provided, gives me that control.
Today’s school lunch is a good example of why I brownbag it for my son. The entrée was pizza rolls served with a tossed salad and applesauce. Salads are great when they’re loaded with fresh veggies—good for you and tasty. In fact, I packed a salad for Jackson today. His salad was made of dark, leafy greens, yellow bell peppers, organic carrots, mushrooms, tomatoes, cucumbers, and scallions. It was topped with lemon vinaigrette that I made with lemon juice, olive oil, sea salt and pepper. The salad at school was made with iceberg lettuce and shredded carrots and topped with a bottled dressing. To me, the difference is obvious.
I try to avoid processed foods as much as I can, and pizza rolls are a processed food I don’t purchase. I don’t buy them because I believe there are more nutritious items I can serve. A look at the ingredient list of a leading brand of pizza rolls is very telling. The list is 20 ingredients long (many of which have their own ingredient lists) and include such things as mozzarella cheese substitute, methylcellulose and rehydrated enzyme-modified cheese (does anyone know what that is?), as well as partially hydrogenated soybean oil (listed twice). In one serving, there’s only one gram of fiber plus one gram of trans fat.
The entrée I sent with Jackson today was whole wheat rotini with green tomato sauce. The one ingredient in the pasta is whole wheat durum flour. The sauce is one I made from green tomatoes, basil, arugula, garlic, olive oil, and parmesan cheese—minimal ingredients and ones which I control and know. One serving of the pasta has five grams of fiber, plus whatever may be in the veggie based sauce, and healthy monounsaturated fat from the olive oil—no trans fat in sight. Plus, it’s a pretty green color. (I know what you’re thinking—yuck! I don’t like green tomatoes—right? But it really is good.)
I know schools have budget and time limitations when it comes to the food they serve. I know the cooks employed by many schools don’t have access to ingredients like the ones I use, but that’s my point. I do have access to wholesome foods, and I want to make sure my son does, too, whether he’s at home or at school.
I’m wondering: What did you pack in your kids’ lunches this week? What about your own? Do you have any great ideas to share? I’d love to hear them!
Jackson adores pesto and many other things that surprise some people.
December 3, 2009
Jackson was sick yesterday and stayed home; therefore, no packed lunch and no post. Today, though, he was feeling great and ready to head out the door.
I’ve had several people over the past few years comment on Jackson’s eating habits. He’s a fantastic eater most of the time. By this I mean he eats mostly what we eat as a family with the exception of very spicy dishes (though my husband looks forward to the day when he and Jackson can share a big dish of habanero laced anything!). Also, he’s usually willing to try new things if they look appealing and are talked up enough. We have, in the past, had periods of hunger strikes on his part, but he always eats when he’s hungry and he’s a good eater.
From the time Jackson started on solid foods, we’ve tried to feed him a wide variety of things. We have been blessed with a good eater. He has loved things like hummus and guacamole from the time he first tried them. He begged for sushi for his third birthday (we held off on raw fish until he was four). He loves eggs any way you can fix them, adores raw veggies, and thinks whole grain bread is the best thing since sliced bread.
If he’s given the choice, however, between raw veggies or potato chips, the potato chips win. He is, after all, human. He doesn’t yet understand the nutritional differences between the two and only knows which he thinks tastes better.
We talk a lot about sugar grams and trans fat, though, and he knows Mommy pretty much avoids them. Since he was two, if he asked for something at the grocery store, and I said, “No, it has trans fat in it,” he’d say, “Oh,” and drop it. But if I’m not there to encourage healthier choices, he doesn’t always know which to choose. That’s something I know he’ll eventually learn.
In the meantime, I’ll keep feeding him what I feed him (with the occasional treat—I’m not a fanatic; I’m all about moderation), and I’m lucky enough to have a son who will, for the most part, happily eat it.
