By Colleen Trombley-VanHoogstraat
Around these parts, school is out for the summer!
(Of course, for some of us who home school, that's not exactly an enormous change in the dynamic of things! The kids were home with me all year. They're home with me all summer. Not a big shift there!)
Nevertheless, there are countless articles and postings about healthy snacks for kids, now that summer is upon us. The added attention to this topic makes sense, now that you're
probably being asked for food throughout the day (perhaps on the hour) during the summer months.
Join the club!
I always joke that, if I didn't care so much about good nutrition, I wouldn't spend so much time in the kitchen, and I'd actually get things done!
In all seriousness, I've had to attach some rules to our re-fueling times. Since the kids are home all day, most days, they have access to food all day. Now that most kids are on some sort of summer break, and might be around the house more, having more access to food, it's important to think about what they're eating and how often.
My mantra, that is useful in a number of settings, is "Just because it's there, doesn't mean we need to eat it!"
This can apply to junk food or sweets that are offered to the kids, or extra servings of food, or a buffet-type spread at a party, etc. It can also apply to the healthy food in our own home.
I no longer support the idea of casually grazing throughout the day, as a general rule of thumb. I think we need to be more intentional about fueling and re-fueling our bodies. Over-consumption throughout the day, even on popular "healthy" foods, can turn our children into "sugar burners" rather than "fat burners".
Obviously, this sets the stage for serious health challenges, in addition to increasing the risk of weight problems, down the road. Being a sugar burner vs. a fat burner means we store fat.
Those cute little "100 calorie" snack packs are not the solution here! They are loaded with toxic, inflammatory ingredients, and provide virtually zero positive nutritional benefit. Caloric content is NOT what to look for first in a snack (or meal, or beverage). Look at the source and quality of those calories vs. the number of them.
Two ways to prevent our kids from turning into toxic, inflamed "sugar burners" are:
1) Increase the time between meals and snacks. Unless you're currently training for an ultra-marathon, chances are pretty good that you don't need to snack and re-fuel every 60 minutes!
In fact, one of our 'fat-burning' hormones, leptin, actually does its job better if we spread out our feeding times and actually allow our bodies to feel a little bit hungry for awhile.
I can't promise you that your children won't whine as their leptin is kickin' in!
2) Provide snacks that have (non-toxic) protein and healthy fats rather than foods that turn to sugar so quickly, like grain-based/flour-based foods and excessive fruit.
Settle down. Your kids can still have fruit. I like to say that we should focus on "controlled consumption". Stone fruits and berries are your best bet.
When I say "non-toxic protein", ideal choices are grass-fed meats, free-range poultry & eggs, wild game, and deep cold-water wild fish.
So, snacks around here can be variations of the above types of foods: jerky, sausages, hard-boiled eggs, chicken or turkey pieces, avocados & homemade guacamole, etc.
"Clean" animal sources of protein, like grass-fed, inherently come equipped with their own healthy fats. This is not the case with conventional meat, eggs and dairy, by the way. Buyer beware. So, if you're not eating all grass-fed and free-range meats, along with fish like wild salmon and sardines, then you need to be sure to add more healthy fats, like grass-fed butter or ghee, pure coconut oil, and avocados, to name a few.
We also have controlled consumption of nuts and nut butters. Our kids may have a small handful of nuts (raw, pre-soaked is best), and a few times each week, they love to have carrot sticks dipped in almond butter. If your family can cut out the nut butters, go for it! Many health authorities say you're far better off without it. Really, compared to a bag of Cheetos, they're better off with nuts!
In the case of grains, whether you're talking white flour or whole grain, grains can cause some serious problems, from cellular toxicity & inflammation, to leaky gut & gut permeability, which opens the door for food sensitivity issues and autoimmune conditions.
If you're not ready to cut out grains completely, at least put some thought behind the quality and quantity. Modern grains are a health nightmare. More 'ancient' grains that are traditionally prepared are a step in a better direction. Grains that have been soaked, cultured, fermented, or sprouted are better. For many, they're still not "OK" though. Gluten-free is an important choice, but keep in mind that much of the gluten-free stuff out there is pure junk, too. Read the ingredients.
So, try not to make grain-based foods the center of the meal or snack. (e.g. a bowl of cereal or a plate of pasta) If there's going to be pasta, cereal, bread, crackers, pizza or any other heavy grain-based food served, decrease the serving size of it and serve up some healthy protein and fats first, or along with it.
There are creative ways to decrease the amount of grains we've been programmed to serve. For example, instead of always having a sandwich, try lettuce wraps, or 'meat wraps' (wrap the cooked meat around some veggies), or provide what would have been inside the sandwich on its own or on top of a fresh salad.
I hate to break it to you, but corn is a grain. It's also known to be the most common GMO crop around.
Keep that in mind as you're thinking about air popping some "healthy" popcorn or serving tortilla chips with homemade dips, or serving something "gluten-free". Corn is an incredibly common ingredient. Clean it up.
Our family doesn't consume much dairy, with the exception of some raw cheeses. If you're doing dairy, aim for grass-fed, raw, organic sources. The yogurt sold in most mainstream grocery stores is not "healthy", by the way. It's even worse if it's low-fat or fat-free.
I know it can seem like, "what's left to eat?!" sometimes! We aim to stick to the least toxic protein sources, with plenty of veggies, controlled fruit consumption, and healthy fats like avocados, olives, and coconut-based foods & beverages. Sometimes, I'll offer something like a tiny bowl of chick peas, but not too often since we try to keep legumes to a minimum, too!
{Sigh}
I know it can seem tough at times, cleaning things up. There's a definite mind set shift that needs to happen.
I try to teach our kids that food is primarily about "fuel", therefore, we look at it differently when thinking about required quality and quantity. I try to steer them away from eating because they're bored, or because they're chilling out with a movie, etc. "Try" being the key word!
I know not everyone agrees, but I'm also trying to equip them with some real life skills that help them function in a food culture that is not all about clean eating, Paleo foods, and organic options (around these parts, at least). Our family has become masters at fueling up ahead of time, packing healthy options to take along, and even bringing those healthy options into parties and restaurants.
It's a journey, that's for sure!
(Of course, for some of us who home school, that's not exactly an enormous change in the dynamic of things! The kids were home with me all year. They're home with me all summer. Not a big shift there!)
Nevertheless, there are countless articles and postings about healthy snacks for kids, now that summer is upon us. The added attention to this topic makes sense, now that you're
probably being asked for food throughout the day (perhaps on the hour) during the summer months.
Join the club!
I always joke that, if I didn't care so much about good nutrition, I wouldn't spend so much time in the kitchen, and I'd actually get things done!
In all seriousness, I've had to attach some rules to our re-fueling times. Since the kids are home all day, most days, they have access to food all day. Now that most kids are on some sort of summer break, and might be around the house more, having more access to food, it's important to think about what they're eating and how often.
My mantra, that is useful in a number of settings, is "Just because it's there, doesn't mean we need to eat it!"
This can apply to junk food or sweets that are offered to the kids, or extra servings of food, or a buffet-type spread at a party, etc. It can also apply to the healthy food in our own home.
I no longer support the idea of casually grazing throughout the day, as a general rule of thumb. I think we need to be more intentional about fueling and re-fueling our bodies. Over-consumption throughout the day, even on popular "healthy" foods, can turn our children into "sugar burners" rather than "fat burners".
Obviously, this sets the stage for serious health challenges, in addition to increasing the risk of weight problems, down the road. Being a sugar burner vs. a fat burner means we store fat.
Those cute little "100 calorie" snack packs are not the solution here! They are loaded with toxic, inflammatory ingredients, and provide virtually zero positive nutritional benefit. Caloric content is NOT what to look for first in a snack (or meal, or beverage). Look at the source and quality of those calories vs. the number of them.
Two ways to prevent our kids from turning into toxic, inflamed "sugar burners" are:
1) Increase the time between meals and snacks. Unless you're currently training for an ultra-marathon, chances are pretty good that you don't need to snack and re-fuel every 60 minutes!
In fact, one of our 'fat-burning' hormones, leptin, actually does its job better if we spread out our feeding times and actually allow our bodies to feel a little bit hungry for awhile.
I can't promise you that your children won't whine as their leptin is kickin' in!
2) Provide snacks that have (non-toxic) protein and healthy fats rather than foods that turn to sugar so quickly, like grain-based/flour-based foods and excessive fruit.
Settle down. Your kids can still have fruit. I like to say that we should focus on "controlled consumption". Stone fruits and berries are your best bet.
When I say "non-toxic protein", ideal choices are grass-fed meats, free-range poultry & eggs, wild game, and deep cold-water wild fish.
So, snacks around here can be variations of the above types of foods: jerky, sausages, hard-boiled eggs, chicken or turkey pieces, avocados & homemade guacamole, etc.
"Clean" animal sources of protein, like grass-fed, inherently come equipped with their own healthy fats. This is not the case with conventional meat, eggs and dairy, by the way. Buyer beware. So, if you're not eating all grass-fed and free-range meats, along with fish like wild salmon and sardines, then you need to be sure to add more healthy fats, like grass-fed butter or ghee, pure coconut oil, and avocados, to name a few.
We also have controlled consumption of nuts and nut butters. Our kids may have a small handful of nuts (raw, pre-soaked is best), and a few times each week, they love to have carrot sticks dipped in almond butter. If your family can cut out the nut butters, go for it! Many health authorities say you're far better off without it. Really, compared to a bag of Cheetos, they're better off with nuts!
In the case of grains, whether you're talking white flour or whole grain, grains can cause some serious problems, from cellular toxicity & inflammation, to leaky gut & gut permeability, which opens the door for food sensitivity issues and autoimmune conditions.
If you're not ready to cut out grains completely, at least put some thought behind the quality and quantity. Modern grains are a health nightmare. More 'ancient' grains that are traditionally prepared are a step in a better direction. Grains that have been soaked, cultured, fermented, or sprouted are better. For many, they're still not "OK" though. Gluten-free is an important choice, but keep in mind that much of the gluten-free stuff out there is pure junk, too. Read the ingredients.
So, try not to make grain-based foods the center of the meal or snack. (e.g. a bowl of cereal or a plate of pasta) If there's going to be pasta, cereal, bread, crackers, pizza or any other heavy grain-based food served, decrease the serving size of it and serve up some healthy protein and fats first, or along with it.
There are creative ways to decrease the amount of grains we've been programmed to serve. For example, instead of always having a sandwich, try lettuce wraps, or 'meat wraps' (wrap the cooked meat around some veggies), or provide what would have been inside the sandwich on its own or on top of a fresh salad.
I hate to break it to you, but corn is a grain. It's also known to be the most common GMO crop around.
Keep that in mind as you're thinking about air popping some "healthy" popcorn or serving tortilla chips with homemade dips, or serving something "gluten-free". Corn is an incredibly common ingredient. Clean it up.
Our family doesn't consume much dairy, with the exception of some raw cheeses. If you're doing dairy, aim for grass-fed, raw, organic sources. The yogurt sold in most mainstream grocery stores is not "healthy", by the way. It's even worse if it's low-fat or fat-free.
I know it can seem like, "what's left to eat?!" sometimes! We aim to stick to the least toxic protein sources, with plenty of veggies, controlled fruit consumption, and healthy fats like avocados, olives, and coconut-based foods & beverages. Sometimes, I'll offer something like a tiny bowl of chick peas, but not too often since we try to keep legumes to a minimum, too!
{Sigh}
I know it can seem tough at times, cleaning things up. There's a definite mind set shift that needs to happen.
I try to teach our kids that food is primarily about "fuel", therefore, we look at it differently when thinking about required quality and quantity. I try to steer them away from eating because they're bored, or because they're chilling out with a movie, etc. "Try" being the key word!
I know not everyone agrees, but I'm also trying to equip them with some real life skills that help them function in a food culture that is not all about clean eating, Paleo foods, and organic options (around these parts, at least). Our family has become masters at fueling up ahead of time, packing healthy options to take along, and even bringing those healthy options into parties and restaurants.
It's a journey, that's for sure!
Dr. Colleen Trombley-VanHoogstraat ("Dr Mom Online") is a popular authority figure in Natural Health & Wellness. Her unique perspective of the science of Wellness provides predictable solutions and transformational results for those struggling with chronic health issues, as well as those seeking lifelong health. To discover her simple strategies for creating better health through nutrition, movement and mindset, visit http://www.DrMomOnline.com and be sure to request your free "Missing Link" and "Top Nutrition Tips" reports while you're there. You can check out her most current books books at
http://amazon.com/author/drcolleen. Dr. Colleen provides personal consulting and distance care programs for cellular detoxification, nutritional make-overs, weight loss/health gain, and metabolic recovery protocols for conditions like thyroid imbalance, hormonal imbalance, "leaky gut" & digestive issues, and autoimmune conditions. You may contact Dr. Colleen directly at info@drmomonline.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Colleen_Trombley-VanHoogstraat http://amazon.com/author/drcolleen. Dr. Colleen provides personal consulting and distance care programs for cellular detoxification, nutritional make-overs, weight loss/health gain, and metabolic recovery protocols for conditions like thyroid imbalance, hormonal imbalance, "leaky gut" & digestive issues, and autoimmune conditions. You may contact Dr. Colleen directly at info@drmomonline.com
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