Reshape The Family Diet -- Avoid Dinnertime Trouble/Cyndi
Thomas, ND
Reshape The Family Diet -- Avoid Dinnertime Trouble
by Cyndi Thomas, ND
When I announced that my family needed to change its diet
somewhat... well, to say my children weren't as excited as me
would be an understatement.
More than once they cried: What? Salad again! When are we going
to have some real food?
My understanding reply was usually, "This is dinner...eat it or
starve." After all, I had taken it upon myself to get my family
in the best possible health -- NO MATTER WHAT!
I had decided no more junk food. We were going to sprout alfalfa
and have produce delivered by truck once a week. We were going
to have meals made up of just fruits and vegetables. We were
going to drink juice made from... gulp, barley grass and
carrots. My kids were going to be thrilled with the change!
So I sat them down -- all seven of them -- and gave a brilliant
lecture on the importance of good nutrition. I even had charts
and graphs. I knew that once they understood, the change
wouldn't be a problem at all. After all, I had intelligent kids.
They would understand. Right? Wrong!
C'mon mom... do you really mean no more hot dogs, hamburgers,
ice cream, brownies, potato chips and soda pop. You don't expect
me to give up soda pop -- DO YOU?
I no longer recommend anyone do what I did. My path to healthy
living was paved with good intentions. But my family suffered
the potholes that accompanied my attempt to overhaul their
eating habits overnight.
You won't have to endure as much agony. I've compiled a few
guidelines to make such a transition easier for the caring
mother (or father) wanting what's best for her or his family: 1.
Do not say anything to the family about what is to transpire.
(The exception here is if the family already has an excellent,
above-average level of communication and they would rather have
apples instead of Ding-Dongs for dessert!) So like I said,
"Don't say anything."
2. Without comment -- and over a period of months -- the meals
should gradually become more nutritious.
3. To complement to the regular meat main course, you serve
lightly steamed vegetables and a tossed green salad. Less
high-fat dairy products, fried foods, pre-prepared foods and
canned foods appear on the table.
4. Make a deal with the kids: We eat like I say five days a
week... twice weekly, you can pick the menu. Most kids would be
agreeable to that. Mine were. Of course, it took me a month to
realize the importance of letting them choose occasionally.
(It was during that month that my then 16-year-old son came home
one night with two large pepperoni pizzas. He walked in with a
smile and a grin-delivered greeting: "Gee mom, you work so hard.
I thought I'd take care of dinner tonight!" With his minimum
wage salary from sacking groceries, takeout pizza was something
he couldn't afford very often.) The transition is much smoother
when mom AND Dad agree on the diet change. Still the rule is the
less fanfare, the better. Slowly introduce more nutritious menus
and set a good example of eating and enjoying. Make positive
comments about how good the vegetables taste -- and how good
they are for the body.
If questions are raised as to why the menus are different, be
honest and direct: "We've been reading (or the doctor told us --
or Bob and Mary have been telling us) that junk food makes our
bodies sick."
Follow with statements on how much better you have been feeling
since eating "right" and comment on any noticed changes in the
children's health or behavior. For example: "Johnny, you sure
have been easier to get out of bed in the mornings since we've
changed our diet."
Don't neglect an opportunity to point out to the children when a
slip away from healthful eating produces direct negative
physical discomfort. Whether it's affecting you ("Boy, that ice
cream sure gave me a headache!") or them ("Johnny, see how you
are acting since you've eaten that piece of cake?"
Keep the "wrong" food out of the house. That way your kids won't
be tempted into eating something they shouldn't. If you must go
to the store to get something, you will often think twice about
whether it's needed -- OR NOT.
Children learn by example. A household that manages food
properly will help children adopt healthy eating habits.
Here are a few quick additional tips: