From the moment your child takes their first bite, that food begins to charge into the system with several specific jobs to do. Some nutrients stimulate brain development and growth, while others amp up the immune system, and then there're others that are in charge of mental clarity and focus, can you imagine all that? This may sound a little crazy, but as a parent, you realize the power you have with each morsel of food you feed your child. Right? Food is FUEL and your children are your most prized possessions with a fine-tuned engine inside. That same pristine engine comes with every Maserati and Lamborghini, around, you know the kind, the ones that you would never give regular gasoline to.
We may not be the latest sports car on the market, but our engines deserve the best if we want our performance and that of our children to flourish. What you feed your baby, toddler, or teenager today will affect their health when they are 50. I realize it sounds so distant, especially as you read this and you're watching your two-year old put a crayon in their mouth. But here is the thing... Food is FUEL and your foundation of health and strength, so what kind of adult do you want to grow? In a strange way, think of it like growing a plant, if you want it to prosper for years to come, you feed it, water it, and love it. And if you gave it soda instead of water it would wilt. And if you gave it mac and cheese instead of plant food, it would wilt even quicker.
Feed your children the same foods you would feed yourself. Your entire family should eat to empower their health, strengthen their immune system, and supercharge their brain for learning. How can you expect them to absorb all that amazing information from school if they are surviving on chicken nuggets and fries. All of us, that includes YOU, need nutrients throughout the day to perform at an optimal level.
Foods with essential fatty acids (EFA's) feeds the brain. These include salmon, hemp seeds, chia seeds, and raw nuts. Fruits and vegetables boost our immune system. And quality proteins and fats make us strong, let alone keep us fuller until our next meal. You know the ones, proteins like pasture raised eggs and chicken, grass fed beef, low mercury fish, quinoa, and even leafy greens. Then the fats, the good ones, the ones that soften our skin and fuel us for a long day at school like avocados, and cold pressed unrefined olive oil, coconut oil, and raw nuts.
Feeding your family can have its challenges, you have picky eaters, food snobs, and junk food junkies but the one thing you always have to remember is that ...they will not starve. As parents, we start to freak out when our kids refuse to eat. Until they start to buy their own food, you are in charge of their food, so you have the power to instill the right flavors and nutrients for a lifetime. Typically, an exhausted parent just gives in; one time won't hurt, but doing this over and over retrains the pallet to enjoy, crave, and demand the bad stuff.
Food does one of two things, it either gives us nutrients or robs the body of nutrients. If your child chooses to eat chicken and rice day in and day out, that is OK, the only person getting bored is you. We have decided that it's better to supplement with candy, bread, or pasta, just so that they eat something. The chicken and rice gives us nutrients, the other stuff robs us, so wouldn't it be better to stick to the good stuff that nourishes the body?
It takes 4 times for a child to love or hate a particular food, so next time you are challenged, make a game out if it. Don't force them to eat what you want, make an agreement with them to taste the food at four different settings. On the same note, cook family meals and avoid letting them eat foods that are not on the menu. The key is to create a menu that will always have at least one thing that you know they will enjoy, so they can pick on the other stuff. With time, those same things they disliked will become a favorite staple food and you won't even know how it happened.
At the end of the day, I am one of you. I have just as crazy a day as you do, but sometimes we fall short feeding our children, simply to get by. It's all about creating the proper plan and recognizing the amazing gift you are giving to your children with th
e right pallet for the right foods. Every morsel becomes the foundation for their health so... What kind of adult are you growing from scratch?
Would you like to learn more tips about feeding your family for success? Here is a FREE intro course for you to view:
Then if you really like that and want more, which will also include meal planning, recipes, myths and misconceptions, the Nutritional Brilliance book and additional handouts. This course will also give 50% of the proceeds back to your school, Click Here:
With Love and Light,
Adita
Adita Lang is Nash and Mila’s mom. She is also a SuperPower aficionado, author of SuperPowers, A Busy Woman’s Guide to Health and Happiness, and a speaker. Her “Journey” started as a certified fitness instructor 30+ years ago. Since her initial beginnings, she expanded her endeavors to specialize, from a biomechanics and resistance training expert to nutritional guru, mind-body serenity coach to advocate for family health and nutrition. Adita holds a BS in Holistic Nutrition, is a Lv3 Holistic Lifestyle Coach through the Chek Institute, and has been accredited by several respected organizations, including NASM, ACE, AFAA, and the University of Miami. She is a faculty member for The International Sports Conditioning Association, Wellness Director for Fierce4 Fitness, and the developer of the online course Nutritional Brilliance. She has trained thousands of fitness professionals’ worldwide and often speaks at schools, Fortune 500 companies, and private organizations on the benefits of quality foods, longevity, and amazing health.
Adita’s mission now…Inspire families to live life with their true potential in the forefront. Share the easiest ways of incorporating healthy rituals so that they become lifelong habits. And through social media, blog posts, and video she wants to bring out the trials and tribulations of life and offer solutions that can be easily incorporated into one’s day to make SuperPowers shine and life thrive on, better than ever! She can be found at www.AditaLang.com