From Tami: Healthy Eating Habits

Encouraging healthy eating habits is a frustrating activity, especially in my family. Maybe in all blended families, I don’t know. I wish that this was a post with all of the answers, but it is going to be more of a rant, I’m afraid.

Sorry.

In my house, there are eleven children from two different marriages. They all eat more junk when they visit the non-custodial parents’ houses (not surprising), but they still eat too much of it in our house as well.

Some of them don’t like “vegetables.” I can’t tell you how many times I have tried to explain that different vegetables taste different, and that one shouldn’t write off entire food groups. Oh well.

We have a whole range of metabolisms and body types, which also complicates the issue somewhat, especially when you are trying to encourage good eating habits while maintaining positive body images.

Yes, we talk about health. We talk about growing big and strong, with good bones and brains and muscles.

But kids know what society tells them about diets and exercise—it tells them that all that matters is appearance. To much of society, health doesn’t matter nearly as much as waistline. This mentality rubs off on everyone to some degree, even young children.

I hate that.

Like so many of us in this modern and perfection-driven world, I can struggle with my own body-image perception. I try so hard to shield the kids from it, though, because I know how damaging these labels we give ourselves can be.

Luckily, the children mostly feel confident in their appearances, whether they eat vegetables or not. I am working hard to instill healthy eating values in them, and a bunch of them have excellent eating habits already. (That’s a problem with having eleven kids. I could have five excellent eaters and be only almost halfway there.)

I’ll keep trying, and I’ll keep you posted if I have any victories in this department. All suggestions welcome, as always.

I would love to hear about your approaches to healthy eating, as well as some of your favorite healthy recipes.

I know you will have some great ideas.

That’s why you’re a Super-Mom.

Tami