Kids’ Nutrition
Let’s talk nutrition:
The foods we should focus on are fresh vegetables and fruits, organic grass-fed meats, nuts and seeds, healthy oils (olive oil, avocado oil, MCT oil or coconut oil, grapeseed oil) and lastly grains.
Notice that grains should comprise the least amount of our diet. I recommend using whole wheat flour, oat bran, and buckwheat flour instead of white flour. White flour is super processed and stripped of any fiber. Eating a lot of carbohydrates creates insulin resistance. Our kids eat way too many carbohydrates.
I like to do this little exercise where we google a vegetable or fruit and see what benefits it has for our bodies. Then we try different recipes that include this food during the week.
We need to teach our kids to consume foods that are fresh. If a food is made with more than 2 or 3 ingredients it will have chemicals and unhealthy ingredients for our bodies. Foods that have a long expiration date are not the best for our bodies because food only lasts this long because of the chemicals put into it to make it last this long.
When you go shopping, teach your kids to hang out in the fresh produce isle and admire the colors and the smells of the fresh fruits and vegetables.
Next, hang out in the meat and cheese department. The middle isles in a grocery store are for processed foods, cereals and sweets.
Involve them in picking out their favorite vegetable or fruit. If you can afford to, always go for organic foods. If you cannot afford them try to find your fresh produce at a local market. They will have less pesticides as they don’t have to be transported far away and are usually sold right after being picked in their season.
What can you do this week to improve your child’s nutrition and his/her knowledge about it?
Tell us below. What are the strategies that work for your family right now?
Monica Donosso is a mom and fitness coach based in Florida. She loves to inspire families to a healthy lifestyle of movement, mindful practices and good nutrition habits.
