All parents want the best for their children. Often, that focus falls on things like clothes and cell phones, but other things get left behind, such as good nutrition.
It is easy to let poorer choices slide, since we are constantly inundated with advertisements for less-than-great food choices. And when children’s nutrition isn’t always valued highly in schools, it would be easy to forget just how important good choices are.
Even knowing how to achieve good dietary choices for children can be really daunting and confusing. Different messages come from all directions about what kids should and shouldn’t be eating. But if you look closely, there are some things that basically everyone agrees on.
Most nutrition experts agree that whole, unprocessed foods are better than unnatural, lab-created, processed foods. They also almost universally approve of fresh veggies and at least some fresh fruit. Bread, dairy, and meat are up for debate, but if you are going to eat them, some choices are definitely better than others, such as whole grain and organic.
These are the things I focus on when I feed my children: Does it exist in nature? Did our ancestors eat it? Is it a whole food, organic, or locally produced?
Each of my children reacts differently to different foods and needs slightly different dietary choices. If you have been looking for easy options for your own family, here is a sample week of meals at our house, including a dessert each night after dinner!
Seven Days of Whole-Food Meals for Kids
Day 1
Breakfast: Scrambled eggs
Fresh fruit salad
Lunch: Turkey wrap (sliced turkey, organic mayonnaise, and cheese in a lettuce leaf)
Carrots and organic ranch dressing
Banana
Dinner: Homemade chicken and vegetable soup made in the slow cooker
Frozen fruit sorbet for dessert (just frozen fruit put in the blender)
Day 2
Breakfast: Chia seeds stirred to desired thickness with water, honey, raisins, and banana slices
Lunch: Chopped chicken breast
Unsalted almonds
Grapes
Dinner: Hamburgers served without buns
Steamed broccoli with melted cheese
Baked apples with cinnamon and honey for dessert
Day 3
Breakfast: Ants on a log (celery stalks with peanut butter and raisins on top)
Milk (we use raw, whole milk)
Lunch: Homemade egg salad on unsalted brown rice cakes
Fresh fruit salad
Dinner: Pork chops
Steamed carrots with butter
Chia seeds mixed with water, carob powder, and honey for dessert
