Lunch today: green smoothie and left over breakfast oatmeal. My kids have been drinking green smoothies since they were old enough to eat solids, so it’s rarely a battle to have them drink one these days. As a matter of fact, sometimes they ask for some smoothie when they see me making one for myself. Which is what happened today. This is the kind of parenting moment I am proud of.
We are our kids role models. If we cannot change our unhealthy habits for ourselves lets do it for our kids. If what they see us doing is sitting around eating junk food, or rushing around too busy to eat something decent, then they will think that that is the way to live. Not only are we responsible for keeping them healthy today, but the way we act around food is very likely to affect how they will act around food as adults.
I’ve had too many conversations with adults who blame their parents for their lack of knowledge in healthy eating, for not giving them more guidance in how to eat well, for letting them eat whatever they wanted as kids, or even feeding them fast foods on a regular basis. These same adults struggle today to find their way to a healthy lifestyle, trying all kinds of dead end diets. Being healthy is a lifestyle, not just a way of eating. And it starts when we are children. The better examples we set for our kids, the easier we are making their life as adults. Do you want your kids to struggle with weight, body image issues, illnesses, amongst others, as they get older? Do you want them to blame YOU for not feeling good about themselves and not knowing how to lead a healthy life because they never had the right role model?
Parents don’t usually think of those things when they buy all the conveniently packaged “kids” foods at the supermarket, when they do a quick stop at a fast food joint because they are too tired to cook, when they let their kids have sugary cereals and processed sugar desserts every day. Those foods are the beginning of the end of a happy body. And kids know nothing of this, they are completely dependent on us for food. So why not present them with the healthiest options there are?
I started as early as I could to feed my kids well, because I already had a positive outlook on food and had a wholesome diet. I fortunately had a great childhood around food and learned a lot of healthy habits from my parents that I still have today. And I am doing the same for my kids because I want them to be able to look back on how I raised them as ways to take care for themselves in a positive manner.
If you haven’t been doing that it doesn’t mean it is too late to start. I will soon be posting an entry on ways to start your family on a healthier path. What you can do starting now, is be mindful and implement positive eating habits for yourself. If you are already doing that, your kids are very lucky 🙂 Either way, I hope I inspire you in some way, wether it be being active with your kids or switching up what you eat. I am happy to keep on sharing recipes with you that you can share with your families.
Pamplemousse 