I have to be honest with you, I’m swimming in a sea of things I need to avoid. In essence, the list of things I’m not supposed to feed my toddler is longer than the list of things she can actually eat. I know we need to stay away from high-fructose corn syrup and watch the MSG’s, and then there’s gluten and that’s a whole other story. Then, anything I can’t pronounce on labels, anything with over seven (or is it five) ingredients on the label, and hot dogs, basically anything listed as an ingredient in hot dogs. And GMO’s, right?
You see, I try. I really do try. I buy tons of fresh fruit, but I’m not sure it’s always organic. Veggies, too. We balance our meals with whole grains and dairy. Then, I read how we shouldn’t consume dairy, and whole grains only count if the first ingredient listed is whole wheat flour.
Sometimes, I drive everyone crazy, myself and my husband, and probably my toddler, too. I push my sanity to the edge with what I should be feeding her and whether or not she’s getting the right nutirtion or too much of something that might harm her later.
I mumble mean things under my breath at these companies who make tasty snack crackers with a laundry list of ingredients and package them with her favorite character on the front.
Here’s the thing, I feed her really good, except sometimes when I don’t. What does that even mean? It means I do a good job balancing out her meals and she would choose a bowl of fruit over gummy snacks any day. I’m patting myself on the back for that, I get to pat myself on the back for that.
But you know what else?
She can spot a Chick-Fil-A from a mile away, she knows their play place and ice cream cones trump all others. She also thinks the cow has a bedroom in the back and he’s sleeping there when he isn’t greeting customers at the door. That’s a story for a different day. I only told you that so you could understand that we go to CFA enough that she has started to make those assertions.
I started sending her to school with these fantastic lunches that I was really proud of, until she asked for a lunchable. A lunchable. She asked me to get her a lunchable and she named the other kids in her class who had one. So I put it in her cute compartment lunchbox, and added some fresh fruit and carrot sticks. She doesn’t know what it means to roll her eyes at someone, but I’m sure she did the toddler equivilant in that instant.
I’m not sure about you, but I find this being responsible for making healthy choices and also ensuring my toddler is making healthy choices a little overwhelming. It’s on me, she doesn’t understand that her beloved Goldfish list a few too many ingredients to actually be considered good for you, even though they are baked. Then, I think, right now I’m arming her with the knowledge about eating that will shape the way she looks at nutrition in the future. That’s a big job, y’all.
So we’re making a switch, a gradual switch to clean eating, but right now it seems so daunting. That’s where you come in, I need to know how you make it work. How do you push through the mountain of information regarding nutrition, and find a way that really works for and your family.
Is there really a balance or is clean eating all or nothing?
I have found that when I take the time to make something worthwhile, my two year old will most likely eat it. We had gotten into a bad habit of eating out a few times a week b/c my hubs works odd shifts. At any rate, I found this website called Once a Month Moms. It has a meal plan for all kinds of eating (healthy, whole foods, traditional, gluten free, Paleo) where ALL the planning and guess work was DONE. I did it six weeks ago, and it is working so awesome! Fast for me, wholesome for him, homecooked for both of us. =)
Leah
I struggle with this every day with my two boys, ages 2 and 8. I think the 80/20% is the best way to go and keep your sanity – eat clean 80% of the time and don’t worry about the other 20%. I’m not going to freak out if my child has a cupcake at a birthday party or pass up the sno cones on a hot summer day.
There’s a great blog called 100 Days of Real Food. She can be a little hardcore, but has lots of great ideas.
Good luck!
I’m with you – It is SO hard. Ella wants to each a lunchable everyday at school and Sophie would be happy if the only thing on the menu was Spaghetti-O’s. We don’t eat 100% clean by any stretch, and we do frequent the CFA, but I am trying to buy less processed foods and stick to the perimeter of the grocery store. My girls favorite way to eat is what we call a “variety plate”. I use compartmented trays and they can pick 5 or 6 different things to make up their meal. There is usually some form of goldfish cracker or tortilla chip, but the other spaces are filled with lean meat, applesauce, yogurt, low-fat cheese and fruits/veggies. It may not be perfect, but it forces them to make healthier choices and gets rid of some of the guilt. We also have a rule that any snacks (especially after dinner) have to be a fruit or dairy. As little girls, I think dairy is still important and once they aren’t drinking milk exclusively, we’ll be attempting to limit our dairy servings a little more. I try to use almond milk as a substitute for some things, which helps, but we still eat cheese and yogurt the old fashioned way. I think it’s all about balance. I don’t want to talk about nutrition so much that they can’t even enjoy a cupcake, so we each some mac & cheese when it’s on the menu and try to be as healthy as possible the rest of time.
In an attempt at full disclosure, I’m totally inhaling a CFA breakfast as I type this ;).
Great answer, Kristin!
I’m with you on the variety tray. That’s how I feed my kids, especially at lunch. My kids love it!
We don’t stay away from dairy, but I have recently switched to organic milk. (I tried almond and it was diaper rash city around here.)
Honestly, there are some days (like today, when I am miserable with a cold) that I break out Totino’s pizza rolls. But I served it with a side of fruit. 🙂 That counts for something, right?
Do you read the blog 100 days of real food… I am not sure of the actual URL but google it it will come right up! It is awesome and she tells all about how her family went to clean eating! She has recipes lunch ideas etc… It’s a lot of info packed into one little blog but read it over time and digest it slowly and I think it is helpful! Not that we are a clean eating family by any means but I can dream right! 😉
I am in the same boat. It is a long and gradual and frustrating process to switch to clean eating. I always thought that I was doing pretty good until I started reading labels and news articles. It is a shame what these companies get away with. I was born and raised in Europe and a lot of the ingredients that US companies use are illegal there or have to be clearly labeled. It is all about the money. I get really fired up about this topic. I am trying to find a balance as well. We still eat out and I don’t feel guilty about it, but when making meals at home I try to make everything from scratch. I started baking my own bread and I grill organic chicken and slice it up as lunch nears ( I always thought eating a turkey sandwich and a cup of soup was good for you until I started reading labels…..so many chemicals in lunch meat, too many GMO’s in bread and soup is just bad for you if you don’t make it yourself). I do buy organic dairy products, eggs and meat and the dirty dozen produce items. Otherwise I just try to stay away from artificial, processed anything. It is a shame that most kids snacks include all of the harmful ingredients. Another “rule” I just started is to use clean products for anything we consume daily. If it is something we eat every once in a while I let it go….
Thanks for sharing your perspective. You are not alone. Do you follow Food Babe and 100 Days of Real Food and weelicious? They give good tips.
This is my take on it…my kids will only be young once. And while yes, I want them to be fueling their body with the best food there is I have to come realize it’s not going to happen always. And my daughter–one day she will be staring at those food labels not for health reasons, but because someone told her she is fat and she is unhappy with her body. For now, I just want them to be kids…throw in some protein and fruits/veggies but on days when all they want are french fries with ice cream I gotta be okay with that too because one day it won’t be that simple for them
Don’t beat yourself up. When those things happen and BK wants a Lunchable, think back to when you were a kid. For all you know, those beautiful lunches you made her were traded for cookies or something else. KIds love to have whatever anyone else has so they feel like they belong. It’s about having the cool lunchbox, or in my case, that extra specific Trapper Keeper I made my mom drive to 10 stores for until we found it. It’s not you…ultimately, kids just want to be kids sometimes, and that includes Chick Fil-a, ice cream, and a juice box over fresh squeezed. You do so much to keep her healthy, so don’t fret!
I struggle with the same thing. Every time I think I’ve got it down- I read another article contradicting something I just read the week before. Like you, I just try and do the best that I can. I just recently signed up for eMeals (they were having a special through Groupon!). It’s been great. We picked the Clean Eating plan and every Wednesday I get a 7 night meal plan emailed to me – complete with a shopping list. They have an app too, and if you choose to only make a few of the meals, you can “skip” them, and the items you don’t use get taken off your shopping list! It has made meal planning and grocery shopping SO much easier. As a working mom, I was tired of eating junk food just because I didn’t have time to cook (and mostly didn’t FEEL like cooking at all by the time I got home). But if I feel like frozen pizza and mac and cheese, we still eat that (and I don’t feel guilty). Emmalyn mostly drinks almond milk, but she still has yogurt and cheese. I try and do organic dairy when I can, but it’s not always an option. I do love reading how other mamas handle meal planning and eating, so keep us updated! Good luck!
I think I have a more laid back approach…
My son loves fruit, oatmeal, veggies, lean meats, brown rice, and wheat bread… I try to buy organic just to stay away from the pesticides. Whenever I make a meal, it’s as fresh and healthy as I can manage that day.
BUT, he’s a kid. On a hot summer day, do we grab a cone of soft serve ice cream with sprinkles (GASP)? Do I hand him some of my fries when we stop at CFA? Gold Fish, Chex Mix, Pirate’s Booty…he gets a small handful with his fruit at lunch. I don’t give him the whole bag and I don’t beat myself up about it. Childhood is so fleeting and should be whimsical, we’re a pretty healthy family so I think he’s just fine.
PS.- I LOVED when my mom would throw a Lunchable in my lunch box when I was a kid…once a week or so, I got to make my own pizza, drink a Capri Sun, and feel cool with the other Lunchable kids? Nothing better. I’m still alive, I didn’t grow a third arm…and it’s a sweet memory in my elementary lunch room. (I also may or may not have eaten a soft pretzel with fake cheese quite often in middle school.)
We’re all going to be picky about certain things as parents, but our sweet babies are going to be big babies one day…I’m going to share a few Gold Fish with him while I still can.
It’s so difficult, but we do our best to ensure she’s getting the right foods. Sometimes though, I let her have a hotdog or CFA or a rice krispie treat or a popsicle because she’s a kid and sometimes you just have to let them be who they are. Lovers of all things sugar!!! Haha! Mia will eat mushrooms and asparagus and carrots and broccoli and most things many other kids will not eat. When she wants a snack, 9 times out of 10 she goes for an apple. We started her on these things from the very beginning. It’s normal to her. We try. That’s the best we can do. Don’t beat yourself up.
I grew up (and still live) in SC. Not exactly a mecca for organic farming. Before organic became a big huge thing, there was my mom- she went with her gut. We drank skim milk, never stocked sodas or chips, dinner always had a veggie and a fruit, no lunchables, no white bread- we ate wheat with the crusts, and didn’t drink chocolate milk. All three of us girls are super healthy and still make similar choices. But we still got treats every now and then. Very little was completely forbidden, so we didn’t binge on it. She always read the label on everything- still does! By now, we’ve switched to a lot of organic or natural products. I don’t have a Whole Foods or Trader Joes within 30 minutes, so I shop the perimeter of the grocery store and we do the best we can.
Right.here.with.you.
Buying preservative/nitrate free turkey for our whole wheat bread sandwiches, but my almost 3 year old does love the occasional big grab bag of Cheetos.
My 16 month old gags and spits if she is offered water in her sippy cup, whereas my older drinks water easy-peasy.
I cook dinner every night, except when we “go to Mexico” for quest and tacos….
“Swimming in the sea” of news, articles, do’s and don’ts is a great way to put it.
I know the hubs and I feel so much better when we eat better, so that’s my motivation to try and try and try again to get the little ones to eat as “clean” as possible. Once (pre)school starts back, I can grocery shop alone which will allow me to take another step towards cleaner eating for everyone.
Right now, just keep patting yourself on the back for the fruit victory. My kids do love fruit and I know some kids that don’t even get that.
Thanks for sharing, I’ll take this gradual process with you,, right after Jay’s Birthday Week is over on Saturday. 🙂
I loved this post. I am in the exact same position right now. I have very gradually started making healthier choices over the last 2 years and really started making a serious effort about 5 months ago. I have stepped up my effort to eat organic fruits, veggies and dairy. We eat whole grain wheat products. No soda, organic juices, lots of water. I am trying to eliminate all the junk in my beauty products. But, the more I research and learn the more overwhelmed I become because there is just so much junk in our food and products today. I started to have some anxiety over it and finally realized I had to let it go. If I find a substitute to eliminate HFCS from a product but discover xanthum gum…well, at least I got rid of the HFCS. It’s baby steps. I do what I can.
As far as my daughter is concerned (also named Braelyn, btw) I love the Annie’s brand of snacks. She can get her snack mix, graham crackers, “goldfish”, fruit snacks, and other snacks that she loves without eating all the junk. And, she actually prefers that brand because the packaging is brightly colored and she loves the bunnies. Several months ago I found a really good blog on 100 Days of Real Food and she talks about red light, yellow light, and green light food and that is what I am trying to teach Braelyn. Truth is, we eat out way too often and I am far from perfect in my healthy eating. But, I do what I can and have to be ok with it. I am educating myself, educating my daughter, and trying to pass that on to the rest of my family. (My husband is actually starting to look at labels!!) I don’t want her to fear eating certain things or even fear food and end up with an eating disorder so I am educating her to make healthy choices, and WHY those are the best choices. It’s hard. It’s frustrating It’s overwhelming. But, it’s worth it. Good luck. Love your blog.
Oh, it is such a struggle sometimes! I think we’re all doing the best we can. I certainly don’t want to focus all my time and energy on figuring out the only acceptable options (according to whomever…) but I also don’t want to open a bag of chips and give the kid a juice box every day. I try hard to set a good example and not keep junk in the house, but I don’t want Molly to go to a friend’s house or a birthday party and freak out over what she’s offered (either by going crazy because it’s been months since she’s seen artificially colored food or had sugar, or by saying she’s ‘not allowed’ to eat something). I really, really want her to make smart choices and I’ve decided that she’ll make smart choices if I offer smart options 😉 The 100 Days of Real Food blog is a helpful starting point and provides a lot of ideas that I’ve found helpful for lunch and snack. I get frustrated when Molly won’t eat what I offer, but I keep trying and I don’t give in to something else when I’ve provided her options!
Good luck with your journey! This was a great post that obviously made a lot of us think 🙂
I think you’ve FOUND the balance… honestly, I do. I mean, I buy organic when it’s available and doesn’t cost an arm and a leg. We have veggies for snacks… but we also have goldfish. We have wonderful egg sandwiches or greek yogurts for breakfast… but I’d be lying if I didn’t tell you that we’ve also had pudding. Fries and chicken from Chick-fil-A have been Zoe’s top favorite food for as long as she could articulate ‘favorite foods’… but, then again, so has broccoli. You could exhaust yourself trying to keep up with the infinite amount of knowledge available on how to eat the cleanest thing. My pediatrician once told me that if I didn’t grow it or make it from scratch my kid shouldn’t be eating it… and I thought, “well. I don’t know about you, but I live in the 21st century and ain’t nobody got time for that.”
it’s so much pressure, isn’t it?
I love the title of this post. Ha! I did clean eating for a few months and mit was hard at times but I managed. This summer I’ve fallen off the clean eating bus and I really need to get back on. Is ice cream clean eating? No? Well I’ve had a lot this summer. Lol!
I find I can do it when I have time to grocery shop on a regular basis so I can buy lots of fruit, veggies, cheese, nuts, chicken, etc. Just stay on the edge of the store and you should be good. The middle aisles are the trouble ones.
Keep us posted on how you do. I need motivation to get back at it. Oh and p.s. I think you are doing find w/ BK – sounds like she has a well rounded diet. And Chick-fil-a is fine once in a while!
What a hard, hard thing for sure because sometimes the unhealthy options sometimes are just what they want. We try to limit processed foods but its hard on those tough days even when CFA is just a good option (yes, we frequent CFA way too much also). I think the 80/20 is a great rule to have that lets you splurge on some small things but at the same time do the majority good food.
What a great post. Considering that M is just starting to dabble in solid food, I don’t have tips for you, but I appreciate you putting this out there to get the conversation going! I’m enjoying reading through your comments!
I actually adore the theme on your website, I run a web site,
and i would adore to use this theme.
As a Mom to a 16 year old, 12 year old and 7 year old, let me give you a little advice….Offer healthy foods NOW! I am a marriage and parenting coach and I get this issue ALL THE TIME. I cook one well balanced meal for my family and we all eat it. My kids eat fish, vegetables, salads everything!!
I just don’t buy cookies or goldfish. My kids love raspberry sorbet and coconut fruit bars and we do go out for ice cream or chicfila once in a while. But the norm is more healthy choices (smoothies, greek yogurt, fresh fruit, veggies with hummus). Start as you mean to go. So, if you want to raise a healthy eater, buy healthy options and make the “junk” food a once in a while thing.
I am not saying we never have potato chips or that kind of stuff but I buy very little of it. My kids are really good eaters (except the littlest one) and I think that is because we have introduced her to too much junk early on.
Lunchables are really awful…they are not food. I am not judging you because I know the kids want them. I am just saying that now is the time to teach her that you will make the best decisions for her body because that is your job. I have never let my kids buy a school lunch because it is total crap. At first, they wanted to because their friends were but now, they have NO desire for the horrible cafeteria food.
I look at it like everything…we are the first teachers about God, kindness, values, life, money and food!!!