Let's Have Healthy Children!

Many of the questions I am asked concerning children are:

* How do I get my children to eat vegetables?
* With a new baby, what do I first feed him and when?
* How do I treat my child with this disorder (irritable bowl syndrome-IBS, skin rashes, constipation, ADD, hyperactivity, and more)
* What are some healthy snacks?
* How do I get my children to eat beans, whole grains, raw foods?

Here’s some suggestions to be carefully considered:

* The first foods for a baby are extremely important in setting their eating habits for life – really! If you start a child with processed rice cereal, fruit juices and baby foods, your child will not get a good taste for wholesome foods. Instead, get a baby food grinder (and take it every where you go) and grind up lightly cooked vegetables, cooked whole grains, raw fruits, and cooked beans. Introducing them to a baby in that order is best too. As you do this, your child’s taste will already be accustomed to wholesome foods. This is most of the battle right here.
* As you continue to feed your child these basic foods for the majority of his/her diet, most of the disorders will be non-existent. Remember why we are supposed to eat foods: To provide nourishment for the body! If we do not give the body nourishing foods, the body will react in disorder and dysfunction. On the other hand, if we eat foods high in nutrition, our body will have the nutrients to heal and strengthen itself.
* There are many great healthy snacks that are convenient too. Just get out of the “goldfish and fruitloops” mindset. Great snacks include mini carrot sticks, fresh cut apples, raisins, raw nuts and trail mixes (for older toddlers), popcorn (do not use micro-waved popcorn as the structure of the grain is altered and unhealthy), whole grain crackers, rice cakes, granola, granola bars, and more. These and others are all high in nutrition and fiber, as opposed to the unhealthy carbs, sugars, fats, and calories that most children’s snacks are. And again, your child will acquire the taste for good wholesome foods and enjoy eating them.

Eating a good nutritious diet and being healthy is mostly just a matter a better food choices. Choose to eat and to provide your children the foods that are high in nutrition and fiber, much of which are raw and whole. The health benefits are well worth it!

To your best health,
Erleen Tilton