kids and veganism....long

[Guest guest]

Jo-Ann asked:

 

" Any good kid friendly recipes out there? "

 

 

Well, I don't have the energy to get recipes together right now, but have

some thoughts to share on the subject. I have only been a lurker on this

list, and a haphazard one at that. But the question of what can the kids

eat that is good for them and tasty enough so that they *want* to eat it is

tricky to say the least.

 

My boys (ages 15 and 10) love baby salad greens, spaghetti squash and

meatless spaghetti sauce; my " Kick Butt " vegan chili, and vegan muffins with

several kinds of dried fruit and nuts in them. Oh, and the Potato Corn

Chowder in the Body Ecology Diet book is out of this world when made with

fresh corn.

 

In our household, I am the quasi-vegan, my almost-a-resident-beau is a very

meticulous vegan, and my kids go back and forth between veggie /whole, raw

foods here and meat centered meals at their dad's house. It's a little

crazy, but the key has been to educate them as to why we don't eat the way

the rest of most of America eats. Then they can make their own food

choices with wisdom instead of just eating what everyone else eats. These

are kids who used to live on Hamburger Helper (made with ground

turkey.....but it's still meat) about 3 nights a week. We've really changed

our diets around here in the last year or so. And my kids prefer to take

their lunches to school instead of buy it there. Even if it's just some

hummus and carrot sticks.

 

I use the Body Ecology Diet as a guideline for my own food choices as a

result of trying to heal from a chronic illness. I have to dodge sugar

and gluten and anything that creates 'sludge' in the system or feeds

candida. It's a lot harder to do everything fresh and from scratch when you

don't feel well. My older son is helpful in the kitchen and prepares meals

that I can eat. He even tells me when he's making something that I can't

really eat, and tries to come up with a palatable version for me. It's not

a perfect system, but it works pretty well. Now if I can just get him to

clean up during the preparation process life would be sweet! :-)

 

I guess one of the keys to teaching younger children would have to involve

limiting their exposure to advertising for foods that aren't good for them.

And to give healthy alternatives. It's tough when they get older, and the

entire ball team is getting Oreo's and Pepsi as an after game snack. Then

the peer pressure takes hold. I just try to help them think about the

choices they are making and balance those temptations with better

alternatives through the rest of the day, hoping it will balance out in the

end.

 

We also have to continue to educate those around us as well, for as we live

our lives differently from the folks eating a Standard American Diet (SAD),

eventually it will sink in somehow. I recently watched my 3 year old

nephew run amok at one of those food bar restaurants and his mother, a

health conscious aerobics instructor, refusing to believe that the gummy

bears on top of the ice cream were contributing to his behavior.

Unfortunately, if he continues to have problems they'll have the child on

Ritalin by the time he's 5.

 

We also have to teach them about organic, whole foods verses genetically

altered ones. Did anyone see the NOVA special on PBS last night? It went

into great detail about the controversy. My son's biology class needs to

see it, because all he's getting at school is telling him that 'golden rice'

is going to feed the world's starving people.

 

In essence, we have to keep telling them the truth about the foods we are

eating. That doesn't help when your four year old is having a tantrum

because he wants a real hot dog, I know. It's not a great immediate

answer. But change comes slowly sometimes. The steady drip of water

carves the canyon.

 

Best to all and sorry it was so long,

 

LJ