“So, how are your kids reacting to your new healthy food lifestyle?”, a few friends have asked with a knowing smirk. Well, actually, they have been much more disposed towards trying something new, oddly enough. Jess used to be an ultra-picky eater. She was the no-condiment, no butter, no seasonings kinda gal. Now, she tries something new just about every time we sit down to eat. Just today she tried a few shreds of parmesan on her buttered noodles, and a dash of oregano seasoning as well. The old Jess would have said, “No cheese, no seasonings, just noodles” when asked what she wanted for lunch. I think it’s because they’re realizing that the food is going to get really boring (because it doesn’t have a bunch of excitotoxins and artificial flavors mixing up the palate), so they’d better start going out on a limb and expanding their previous limits.
Saturday it got around to lunchtime, and Saturday lunches are just my time to play with whole food, real food combinations. No elaborate seasonings, just taste the food that God grew for ya’. I had just picked up a bag of beautiful red potatoes from Slow Pokes in Grafton. One of my most favorite organic whole foods has to be the humble potato. Nothing tastes finer than an organic baked potato, with a little organic butter over it, and sprinkled with pink himalayan sea salt, and black pepper. Nothing.
So Saturday I microwaved a bunch of the potatoes, cut up an organic apple, cut up an organic carrot (peel on for extra vitamins), and put it all on plates. Then I took 4 Tablespoons of yogurt, added a few drops of maple syrup, and mixed it up to be split between them into little dipping bowls.
It was just a good thing I thought ahead and made two potatoes for each girl, not just one!
I love that you are starting them young watching what they put in their mouths. We were raised with this very concept. We never had chips or soda, etc. in our house. We had a veggie and salad at every meal except breakfast. Breakfast consisted of oatmeal and fruit most days with eggs once a week. Being a diabetic I watch everything that goes in my mouth. I gave up red meat, soda, white bread. Grains are whole grains – fiber rich carbs only.
Great blog, Tweet.
Thank you, Susie! The great thing is that none of us miss it now. We all drink almost exclusively water (the kids still have milk with their cereal in the morning), and lots more of it. We still have treats like organic air-popped popcorn, whole wheat cookies, and homemade wheat bread — fiber-rich carbs, just like you mentioned. The kids are way less picky too. My theory, and it’s only a theory, is that their choices aren’t overwhelming anymore. They can identify everything on the plate, and they watched it being put together and cooked. Whatever the reason, they are more willing to try new flavors than they ever were before. Thank you for your encouragement!