From the moment our kids are born, our brains get suddenly and irrevocably rewired. When we first hold them in our arms we know that our sole purpose in life is to keep them safe, happy and healthy. This is a big part of the reason why so many parents choose to homeschool their kids. Why surrender something as important as education to chance when you can assert your own control over it and play a bigger role in your kids’ day to day lives.
We all know that good nutrition is one of the most important cornerstones of our kids’ health. But when it comes to good nutritional sense, many of us rely heavily on assumed truths, “common sense” and USDA guidelines based on research from the 1940s. And a glance at the soaring childhood obesity rates is a clear indicator that something’s awry.
Here we’ll turn to scientific studies to busy some of the myths surrounding our kids’ nutrition.
Kids need meat to stay strong
Not only are kids today eating a lot of meat, they’re also eating a lot of processed meats including bacon, ham, and sausages- all of which are classified as Type 1 carcinogens by the World Health Organization. We’ve been conditioned to prize protein above all other nutrients. But kids don’t need to eat meat, especially processed meats, to stay strong. There are plenty of plant protein sources that also contain dietary fiber, vitamins, minerals, and a whole lot less saturated fat.
Milk is essential for healthy teeth and bones
Sorry dairy lovers, but unless you’re raising a baby calf there’s no reason to give your kids milk. It’s high in calories, contains up to 24mg of cholesterol per serving and its high levels of acidity can actually weaken our bones as our bodies use our own calcium stores to counteract the acidity. There are numerous other sources of calcium. When kids are getting plenty of “greens and beans” there’s no need to rely on dairy to meet their calcium needs.
It’s hard to get kids to eat fruits and veggies
There are all kinds of fun ways to sneak extra veggies and fruits into kids’ diets without them wrinkling their noses and pushing away their plates in disgust. Take a look at these lunch wrap ideas from YummyMummyKitchen.com. Each of the 4 recipes contains wholesome handfuls of plant-based goodness packed with vitamins, minerals, protein, and fiber. Everything a growing child needs without the high levels of sodium, saturated fat and refined carbohydrates (including masses of sugar) that have permeated school lunchrooms all over the nation.
Carbs are bad m’kay!
And finally… Throughout the 20th and 21st centuries, it seems like we’ve been demonizing one food group after another. At one point it was believed that protein was the root of all evil. Then in the mid to late 20th century fats were the enemy and were expunged from supermarket shelves. When the turn of the millennium rolled around we all became fully-fledged carb haters as we flocked to the Atkins, Dukan and keto diets. But the truth is that complex carbohydrates such as those found in cereals, legumes and starchy vegetables are full of slow-release energy. It’s only refined carbohydrates like white bread and (of course) sugar that we need to keep out of kids’ diets.