11. Will Kids Eat Plant-Based Foods?
As parents, we all aim to raise our kids to the best of our abilities. It is a daily, repeating, endless affair that we can all relate to. I am personally driven to break out of the Standard American Diet and strive for better health, and of course, I want the same for my kids. But will they eat whole plant-based foods?
One of the most anxiety-inducing topics for parents is what to feed their kids. It's a seemingly simple task, yet we all want to get it right. The food environment in our society, however, doesn’t always make it easy to choose the best foods. Every day presents a new challenge: a classmate's birthday at school, the tempting ice cream truck, or another hot dog grilling holiday. Even ordinary occasions can lead to less-than-ideal food choices, like a late evening of after-school activities or getting stuck at work and resorting to fast food.
These are regular occurrences in every household, mine included. So, how do we set ourselves up for success most of the time? Again, in this area, perfection is not the goal and may even lead to disordered eating, so we aim to optimize opportunities to trade less ideal foods for better options when possible. An obvious example is having whole, fresh foods on hand and prepared. We peel and cut carrots to keep in the fridge. When we buy strawberries or melons, we wash and cut them right away, so they are just as easy to grab as a less nutrient-dense option, such as a box of crackers. Kids don’t want to wait for food when hungry, so making good choices easy goes a long way.
One of my three kids is more selective about what she is willing to eat than the other two. Encouraging her to try “new” things usually has the opposite effect than intended. So I recruited her assistance in writing on this topic and asked her: “Which plant foods do you like to eat?” She didn’t miss a beat and provided the following list after saying: “kids hate fruits and vegetables!” Her list: Apples and peanut butter, broccoli with noodles, strawberry smoothies, veggie lasagna, veggie pizza, kale chips, fresh lettuce out of the garden, fresh strawberries, carrot sticks, celery with peanut butter/raisins, green spinach, green blender muffins, black bean brownies, carrots with peanut butter (I sense a theme), noodles with tomato sauce, homemade popcorn, veggie nuggets, Ezeikiel bread (sesame), raspberries, watermelon, energy bites, and homemade granola bars. I felt optimistic about her list!
In conclusion, if you aren’t sure which foods your kids will eat, consider starting by asking them. Also, repeated exposures to “new” foods result in kids acquiring a taste for different things, so persistence may pay off. A Parent’s Guide to Intuitive Eating by Dr. Yami Cazorla-Lancaster is an excellent primer on feeding kids a plant-based diet. She is a pediatrician and makes recommendations based on evidence-based medicine.
Does feeding kids stress you out? What are your strategies for providing a solid base of more nutrient-dense food to balance the onslaught of the Standard American Diet?
*As always, this website and blog information is not medical advice. Please consult your medical professional if you are changing your health behaviors, including starting a new diet or exercise program.