So, we love us some food around here. And we like all different kinds of food. We also love to cook and enjoy a nice meal at
home together. For us, food is more than
just something to eat. It is an experience. It is about learning and exploring. Food brings people to the table. Family
meals foster conversation. Food also has the power to add vitality to your life
or to leave you feeling icky and stuffed and sluggish and sick.
We choose the former. I view each
meal as an opportunity to nourish my body and my family, which is why I try to
be mindful of every morsel. We need healthy fuel that will help us keep up
with life (and a toddler) and provide the best nutrients…while instilling
healthy habits.
For the past few years, our family has been
gravitating toward a plant-based lifestyle.
We have always been “healthy” eaters but wellness is kind of a lifelong
journey. You pick up new things as you
go. You try things out. You see what works. And that becomes your lifestyle. For us, eating primarily plants just
works. We eat lots of vegetables,
fruits, nuts, seeds, raw food, real food, local food. Food with high
ORAC value. Foods that have a stellar ANDI score. Bulking
up our menu with nutrient-rich ingredients, power-packed foods, foods with high
vitamin/mineral density, foods with more goodness. We feel our best that way.
It isn’t about not eating things. It is about eating more things.
More variety. More color. Plus, it is a fun challenge to come up
with inventive recipes for our weekly meals.
It keeps our tastebuds on their toes which is great for Elinor to
experience at an early age. We may not always LOVE everything about every meal,
but we give it a go. And we talk about the flavors and textures and temperatures. We learn. And I love to learn new things and
try stuff so this is a fun way to live.
I mix it up so we don’t get bored. And heaven forbid we feel
deprived. No way! It is about
abundance. Lots of the good stuff. Feeling satisfied at a cellular level. Making
choices that will keep us healthier, longer. Choices that will enable our
bodies to work better and stay clean. Choices that will fight disease.
I guess you can say that we are Pollan-ites. Michael Pollan’s
proposal that we should “eat food.
not too much. mostly plants.” does the trick for us. It is a
time-honored (yet sadly, novel) response to the question of what we should eat.
That phrase has a simplicity and balance to it that is so
appealing. Liberating, really. It is simple. Eat food. Not too much. Mostly
plants. Makes sense to me.
And
that’s how it’s done around here. It is
just how we are so Elinor doesn’t really know anything else. I guess she’ll be
one of “those kids” when she’s older…
When
it comes to feeding my family and more specifically, my toddler daughter, here
are a few guidelines that work for us:
They eat what you eat food
My kid-food philosophy
is simply an extension of my own lifestyle. Because really, that is the only
thing that works. I want continuity in our kitchen. And who has the time or
money to prepare a separate meal for each person? There is no special toddler
menu around here. We are in this together. I want to model proper nutrition and
a healthy relationship with food. And I can't do that if I am eating one thing
and telling my daughter to eat something else.
Slow food
There seems to be a
movement afoot toward more natural living. More folks are buying local food.
Urban farms are popping up everywhere. Mamas are making their own baby food.
Families are installing chicken coops in their backyards.
At the heart of it, I
think people just want to slow things down. To push back against a world that
is increasingly instant-everything. To take time to prepare meals using real food
— monosyllabic ingredients from your own backyard or farmer's market instead of
unpronounceable things cooked up in a lab. You know, a little bit like our
grandparents grew up. A charming notion, isn't it? And our home embraces this.
Two green thumbs up!
Stock the Staples
The key to keeping
nutrition easy is to stock your pantry and fridge with the good stuff. It seems like a simple thing but it really is
the secret sauce. Whatever is in the house will be consumed so make sure that
stuff is the very best. There are enough
opportunities to eat junk out in the real world, don’t bring it into your
home. Keep that as clean as you can.
Plan ahead. Be prepared.
+ A
rainbow of raw fruits— avocados, bananas, berries, tomatoes…these are all easy
snacks for on-the-go. Fruit is nature’s candy.
And it is definitely okay to eat that stuff up.
+ Veggies, veggies,
veggies! We like to juice our veggies because you get WAY more nutrients that
way. No one around here would eat a whole bunch of kale and spinach and seven
carrots and six stalks of celery plus a beet or two in one sitting…but you can
easily do that with juice. And you can add in some fruit to sweeten things up
for the kiddos until their palates adjust.
+ Beverages:
WATER, coconut water, and plant/nut milks
+ A
variety of sprouted ancient grains
+ Spices
& such: spirulina, wheatgrass, celtic sea salt, bee pollen, turmeric,
ginger, cinnamon
+ Organic,
cultured, and pasture-raised eggs,
butter, ghee, kefir, raw goat/sheep yogurt, raw cheese
+ Fats
& proteins: salmon, krill, olive, grapeseed, coconut, chia, hemp, linseed,
beans
+ Fermented / Cultured / Sprouted / Activated / Raw: these
foods contain more active cultures and available nutrients which help aid in
digestion, promote healthy gut flora, and support the immune system.
Enjoyment
I am a proponent of
the family meal. Life is full and days are busy. It might take some effort, but
preparing a meal to enjoy together is so good. The whole process is an
education for littles. They see ingredients in their natural state — carrots
come from the ground, not a jar. They learn how to help in the kitchen. They begin to understand manners and family
dynamics. They can pick and play, cultivating an appreciation for food.
Instead of limiting yourself, explore nature's
vibrant bounty! Let the ingredients AND the experience nourish.
Santé
and Bon Appétit!
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