One day after my group exercise class, I was having a Ask Me Anything session with the ladies in the class.
At a point, we started talking about the children and what we feed them. All the women, except one, are parents, so they are legitimately concerned about the stuff their kids eat.
Here is what we concluded: if it's not good for you as a parent it's not okay for your child!
I hear parents say this all the time, "Children need this and that to grow" Or, "If you don't give it to them, don't won't eat"
I disagree with both statements.
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But first, let me make a disclaimer before I share my opinions: I am not a parent, so I am not an expert in raising children.
That being said, here are my opinions and the ladies in my class who are parents agreed:
Parents Need To Nurture Healthy Growth In Their Kids
If we don't start to nurture the growth of our children with healthy foods, in 10-15, they too will begin to fight the same weight battle some of their parents are facing today. We cannot afford to raise another generation that will continue to struggle with obesity.
Haven't you noticed how big the children of this country, especially those who live in the cities are becoming?
Take the average city kid, and you'll notice she/he is way fatter than the kids from the rural area. Why is this so? I believe it has to do with their nutrition. Most of the kids in the city eat highly processed foods whereas kids in the rural areas eat (whole) unprocessed foods.
I fear that obesity and its associated metabolic syndrome may become an epidemic in the not-so-far future if we don't do something about what we're feeding the children.
What Are You Feeding Your Kids?
If you are a parent, you owe it a responsibility to your kids to feed them what we build and nurture them, and not the silent poisons that taste sweet.
Does that mean children should not eat some of this stuff at all? Of course no. They can have such food once in a while. It's only a problem when that is what their diet consists of.
And before you say, "Esta, you're saying this because you are not a parent. It's easier said than done."
Hold on a moment. I know parents in this our country who don't feed their children with highly processed foods.
Don't get me wrong. I know it can be hard, especially when the kids are already used to eating all those unhealthy stuff. But it's not impossible. You as the parent have to decide to truly care about the health of your child, and feed them with foods that will nurture their growth and health.
Moving Forward: Here Are A few Tips To Help
1
Do A Kitchen Detox
Bring out all the top five packaged foods your kids eat and research the first five ingredients on the labels. If what you find scares you as a parent, then you should decide if you want your child to continue to eat that food.
2
Get Them To Eat Veggies And Fruits
Start adding vegetables like carrots and cabbage to their noodles to make them fall in love with vegetables. Satisfy their sweet tooth with homemade fruit juices and smoothies instead of Bobo and Ribena.
3
Reduce and Replace
Give them roasted chicken to snack on instead of sugary snacks. Replace Indomie and other highly processed noodles with rice or pasta. Better still, give them yam or sweet potato.
4
Be Their Role Model
Model a good example. Children learn from what they see adults around them do. Therefore, you have to be their role model when it comes to eating healthy.
In Conclusion
Food manufacturers don't care about your health or the health of your child. They care about the bottom line! Therefore, it is your duty as a parent to put your family first and vote for good health with your money.
It's never too early or too late to get your young ones started on healthy living.
Your Turn..​.
Thanks for taking time to read my this post. Before you leave, I'd love to know your opinion about the post. Please drop me a comment in the comment section below 🙂