I've had a lot of people ask questions about kids and the Whole30, or kids and nutrition in general, and there is so much research on this topic! There are two key areas to consider when discussing kids and nutrition - the biology behind what our kids need to develop physically and cognitively as well as the behavioral aspect of getting kids to eat healthy foods. Check out the following article (below) from Whole30 that introduces these concepts and continue to do your own research! Every parent wants the best for their kiddos - take some time to educate yourself regarding what science and research say is the best when it comes to nourishing your children. Knowledge is power!
Kids are people, too
Once children begin to wean from their “perfect food”, however, parents are faced with choosing foods for them. Robb Wolf has said, “Kids are just little people”, and we think so, too. Since your kids are working so hard to grow into adults (though we can’t imagine why they all want to do that), they need plenty of calories to support growth, activity, and normal physical and cognitive development. But eating well isn’t just about getting adequate calories (protein, fat, and carbohydrates) – otherwise, we could all thrive on nothing but McDonald’s cheeseburgers, fries and a Coke… or our Paleo bacon, bananas, and almond butter, for that matter. No, there is far more to healthy eating than supplying adequate macronutrients – it’s the micronutrients that contribute to our health, and that of our children.
One significant reason that fresh, unprocessed foods like meat, vegetables, fruit and good fats are so healthy for us is that these foods supply liberal amounts of vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals – the stuff that actually benefits your child’s health. Choosing foods that supply adequate macronutrients while being very nutrient-dense is the “best-case scenario” for growing kids, from toddlers to teenagers. (Check this related Robb Wolf post for additional nutritional breakdowns.) So much like we encourage our readers to Eat Real Food, we believe your kid’s food should also be Real Food.
Growing healthy kids
Your child’s diet should be comprised of nutrient-dense foods which are in harmony with our genetic heritage and require minimal processing to be eaten – things like beef, chicken, and fish; sweet potato, carrots, and spinach; blueberries, cantaloupe and plums; avocado, olives, and coconut milk. Sound familiar? It should! As we’ve mentioned here once or twice, Eating Real Food confers a host of benefits on us adults, including improved performance, effortless weight management, and optimal long-term health, not to mention reducing systemic inflammation and your risk for a number of lifestyle related diseases and conditions. And kids are just little people, right? This same food – Real Food – promotes their healthy immune function, supports growth and activity, and contributes a wide variety of micronutrients that has been shown to decrease risk of (and improve) conditions such as asthma, allergies, ADD and various autoimmune diseases.
On the opposite end of the spectrum, much in the way foods like sugar, grains, legumes, or dairy negatively affect our health, they also negatively impact our children’s health – perhaps even more so, as their immature immune system and GI tract can be even more vulnerable than ours. Even in the youngest of us, typical “kid food” like milk, yogurt, cereal and bread at worst promote systemic inflammation, create immune system dysfunction, increase the risk of diseases like type I diabetes. At best, these foods comparatively lack the nutrient density that would significantly contribute to your child’s overall health. (Yes, even milk, despite what your pediatrician may tell you.)
Food fights
Lots of parents we’ve talked to say, “But my kids don’t like vegetables…” or, “But my son loves Froot Loops.” (This is where we often get in trouble, asking, “Um, does your toddler drive himself to the corner store for cereal?”) Admittedly, we don’t know how difficult it is to try to take away a child’s Froot Loops – although we can imagine, knowing how hard it is for our adult Whole30 participants to change their eating habits. But until your children are buying their own food with their own money, you as the parent are the single largest supplier of your child’s nutritional needs. And we believe it’s just as critical to your child’s long-term success to feed them healthy food as it is to make sure they don’t drop out of school in 3rd grade. Admittedly, getting kids to love Real Food is easier said than done, especially if they’re accustomed to sweeter, more processed foods on their plate. But we think that there are few parental duties more noble than loving your children wholeheartedly, and feeding them as best as you can – even if you have to fight them on it, even if they go to bed hungry for a night or two, even if you have to resort to saying, “It’s for your own good.”
DAY 22 FOOD LOG:
Wake up/pre-camp - turkey meatballs, apples and almond butter
Meal 1 - shredded chicken (cooked in the crockpot with salsa), eggs, broccoli, and pico scrambled together, topped with fresh salsa
Meal 2 - smoked chicken, roasted Brussels sprouts and bacon, turkey twice baked sweet potato
pre-workout - 1/2 Pecan Larabar
post-workout/Meal 3 - smoked chicken salad with sun dried tomatoes, avocado, and balsamic vinegar, green beans
WATER ALL DAY, La Croix, and a few nuts & dried cranberries
