Our Kids ARE Human, Afterall!

Yesterday was field day at school... once again, "celebrated" with lots of junk food! Throughout the day, the kids were 'treated' to popsicles (the high fructose corn syrup kind), popcorn, juice (again, the high fructose corn syrup & artificial everything kind!), pizza, brownies and take-home bag of packaged sugar in various shapes... commonly referred to as candy! Oh, apparently there was fruit for the kids, too. Wonders never cease!

I arrived shortly after lunch and was greeted by a mom exclaiming, "Wow, your daughter can really pound the pizza!" She continued, "I told her before she could have a second piece that she needed to have some fruit... and she said, 'sure, I'll have fruit - then I'll have more pizza, OK?' " This was just one more example of parents and teachers who, once they get to know my health and nutrition philosophy, are all too happy to inform me when my children have strayed from the straight and narrow path of perfect nutritional existence!

An example from early in the school year (that really burned my buns) was a mom surprising her son and the rest of the class with an enormous birthday cake for her son's imaginary friend!!!! ????? Being early in the year, and following a classmate's birthday celebration the day before, I told the teacher that my daughter doesn't usually eat that kind of food and I'd rather keep it that way. When I arrived to pick her up that afternoon, the teacher said, "I don't know what you were talking about... she was licking the cake pan clean!"

To both of these otherwise intelligent women I say, "DUH!!!!" Of course our kids are going to eat cake, pizza and all sorts of non-health creating junk when you put it in front of their faces or offer it up on a plate to them!!! They are human, afterall! Shoot, I'm a Wellness 'expert', for cryin' out loud, and I still have a major challenge with this!! I have my feet firmly planted in reality when it comes to my daughter's food choices - if you offer her sweets or carbs, stand back... get ready to watch the show!

My point is twofold: 1) serve up healthy options first, and 2) out of sight, out of mind! If it's not there, they're not so conditioned to eating it regularly. In our house, you've got to really work for some less-healthy options! You actually need to get in the car and drive several minutes to a store. Junk is not on our regular shopping list. I'm not saying we're perfect - far from it! We've just chosen to remove the most toxic choices from our 'menu' and re-define 'treats' for our kids. When you're not used to the highly processed junk on the market today, it's amazing how sweet things like organic yogurt, granola, fresh berries and real-fruit 'popsicles' can taste!