I could be writing about successful clients or weight-loss tips to support my business, but instead, I’d like to use this platform to get out a really important message.
It’s September—school has started, and the conversation around food and sugar in the classroom is front and centre. The unfortunate reality, though, is that the vote split, there too many people on opposing sides.
I’m sure it’s not hard to guess which side I’m on, but I really do have a hard time understanding why more people don’t take the childhood obesity epidemic more seriously.
We can no longer turn a blind eye and adopt the attitude “just let kids be kids”. We can’t allow our children to run the show and eat whatever they want, it’s simply irresponsible parenting.
The childhood obesity epidemic is impacting 42 million children under the age of five worldwide. You may have seen innovative fitness founder Matthew Young’s TEDX talk a few months back wherein he addresses the exercise part of the equation.
Today I invite you to be part of the solution! Stop buying into the marketing on every package of food you buy at the grocery store. Stop giving into your child’s whims and teach them to stand up to peer pressure.
Speak to your child’s teacher and the principal so they can set healthy guidelines around acceptable food at school. Feed your child real food, that’s all it takes. No need to stress about what to send for snacks when you have fruits, vegetables, seeds and grains at your disposal.
Take a second look at the ingredient list on the food you’re buying, read how many grams of sugar are in that so-called healthy food. Have you ever looked at how much sugar is in that yogurt you packed for lunch? For any of those flavoured versions, you may as well be sending a chocolate bar. It’s time to get real about your child’s nutrition. So let’s do this!
I constantly get asked how I get my kids to eat so healthy and enjoy a wide variety of food. This opinion may not be popular, but its damn authentic, so here goes:
If you’re having a hard time getting your children to eat healthy food, it’s because you’ve given up too much of your power as a parent. Children don’t grocery shop, children don’t cook, they don’t get to make the decisions. You do!
If their favourite food is Kraft dinner, grilled cheese or burgers, it’s because you bought it and cooked it for them. Children like what they are used to, and it’s up to you to decide what that will be!
Now this doesn’t mean that my kids don’t eat macaroni and cheese grilled cheese or burgers. But they certainly don’t get processed versions of the above, and it’s not something they eat every day. I make one meal in my house, period. I may allow some adjustments, like adding brown rice noodles to the chicken and veggies I’ve cooked to accommodate my 4-year-old, but “kids meals” I will not make.
You’re the parent, take back control, create a new normal in your child’s life. If this part of your life is causing you stress, own up to your contribution, and fix it! Don’t push it under the rug! What your child eats is the single most important factor in their health and performance. Everything starts there!
It may seem like an uphill battle right now, but trust me, the older they get, the more difficult their habits are to change. So start TODAY with these easy-to-follow tips
Trust that you’re doing the right thing for your child’s future, and you’ll be relieving yourself of a mountain of stress and wasted time in the long run!
p.s. If you’re not already leading by example (you have to eat your veggies too!) and eating with them, start there first.
Cheers to a brighter future for our kids!
Ciara Foy
Principal, Ciara Foy Nutrition
m: 416-271-4369 | e: | w: www.ciarafoy.com |
a: 100 King Street West, Suite 5700, Toronto, ON, M5X 1C7
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