Real Food Strategies for School-age Children (and their families!)

Guest post by Nikki Ledford

Most of us try to make healthy, mindful choices about our food. And yet most of us struggle in one way or another to avoid the temptation of sweets and treats. Unhealthy snacks abound in nearly all corners of daily life — on office desks, in pantries, and at the checkout line — and the allure of these poor food choices is both undeniable and understandable.

In most cases, they’ve been carefully engineered to grab the attention of every hungry, impulsive, and bored person in their immediate vicinity.

If we struggle so mightily to abstain from that which we know will not make us feel better or achieve better health, what makes us think that our children will be able to do so? My two year old is hilarious and impulsive — and I love that about him — but it also exposes him to the risk of developing bad eating habits

As well-meaning parents, teachers, and caregivers, we should do our best to support our children’s ability to make healthy choices with a solid game plan. Here are three strategies you can implement this week to move towards healthier habits not only for kids, but the whole family!

Start the day right.

It may seem obvious, but the first meal of the day is the first opportunity to set us up for sugar cravings or hours of nourished satiety. The food we choose to consume in our waking hours sets our course for the day, so it’s essential that we come out of the gate well.

Opt to give your kids protein and fat based breakfasts. This will prevent their blood sugar from spiking and crashing, provide nutrients that will keep them satisfied until snack time or lunch, and keep cravings at bay.

Some great options:

• Bacon and Egg Cups or Pizza Egg Cups or Egg Muffins
• A plate with chicken sausage and a grain-free tortilla spread with avocado
• A low sugar smoothie (Try using coconut milk, collagen peptides, nut butter, berries, and half a banana.)

Avoid packaged snacks and convenience foods at home.

Chances are, you love protein bars, paleo chips, and almond meal muffins just as much as your kids do.

They are delicious and can be a great way to include a healthy option in your kid’s lunch or during after-school activities, but...

These packaged choices aren’t a great replacement for whole, real foods — and they can be pricey. Prioritizing simple, homemade snacks at home can decrease your family’s daily sugar intake — and ease the strain on your wallet. If you only utilize the convenience of a real food bar, jerky, or similar packaged food outside of the house, then you’ll likely be indulging less (and therefore purchasing less).

Need ideas for some simple kid-approved snacks?

• Raw Apple Pie Bars
• Flourless Walnut Raisin Cookies
• A simple array of nuts and fresh fruit or fresh sliced deli meat or charcuterie.

H2O is king.

Whether it’s juice, soda, or sports drinks, most kids drink sweet stuff at school. These kinds of beverages add significantly to any person’s daily sugar and caloric intake and can set them in a dangerous direction that can dramatically impact their future well-being.

To help kids make good choices, we need to set them up for success by providing tools for them to make a better choice. Stack the odds in their favor by providing them with a special water bottle that they bring to and from school. Maybe they even have the option to leave it at school labelled with their name.

Having a bottle of water at hand makes a trip to the cafeteria, school store, or vending machine less likely. Let’s be honest, it doesn’t remove the allure entirely. Which is why, just like the strategy around snacks, water should be the drink of choice while at home. There will always be opportunities for sweetened, fun drinks outside of the home.

Parting thoughts

The common thread in these strategies is this: design the food environment at home and avoid getting too caught up in managing food choices that are not under your supervision. Save your energy for the areas in which you have influence and control. Remember, you purchase the groceries, but you can’t follow them around all day. Do your best with what you can and let the (coconut) chips fall where they may.

Don’t forget that as leaders, our job is not only provide healthy food for our kids, but also to  be a good example of what it means to eat whole, real foods regularly, indulge in a treat now and then, and be mindful about caring for our bodies well.

-Nikki Ledford

Nikki Ledford is a certified natural foods chef, nutrition consultant, and fitness coach based in Southern California. She believes that physical health and natural movement can be best supported by a diet consisting of real, whole foods. In addition to cooking for private clients, Nikki teaches nutrition and cooking seminars, maintains an L1 Crossfit coaching certification, and practices yoga regularly.

Nikki lives in San Diego with her husband, her son, and her St. Bernard, Tiny.

@thecleanplatechef

www.thecleanplatechef.com

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