"What do you feed your kids?" is the number one question I receive when I share how my family and I eat. In this post, you'll learn how we got to our current state and a few items on our weekly menu to try out with your own crew!
My crew of little ladies is 7, 6, and 4 years old. Like most parents, I pureed all my firstborn's foods when she got off the bottle. I ensured she did not have added sugars and took great care providing balanced meals. Then 17 months later I had my second child and 20 months later my third child was born, and with each added family member, I naturally turned more to convenient options.
Years later their weekly menu consisted of a rotation of hot dogs, macaroni and cheese, dinosaur-shaped chicken nuggets (henceforth known as dino nuggets) and frozen pizza. Survival mode.
Come June 2022, this mom decided it was time to make a change. And here's how I did it.
Step 1. The Talk
I started with Oldest. She was simultaneously the easiest and the most difficult. Easy because she is relatively sensible and understanding. Difficult because dang does she love dino nuggets. Most nights they were the only things on her plate.
I was transparent about what I was learning about processed food and that we would change how we ate as a result. By putting less-processed food into our bodies, we would learn better, sleep better, run harder during soccer games and be even more focused at karate.
Her response was one of understanding and then lots of questions. Be prepared for lots of questions. She spent the next week pointing to food items and asking "Is this processed?" I love this because she wanted to learn more about the shifts.
Her understanding turned to heartbreak when she learned that dino nuggets were in fact processed.
And the other kids? Middle child has a sophisticated pallet so there was not an official talk with her. And our youngest turned 4 only few months ago and there would be no talking sensibly with her on this subject lol. Youngest energy is real.
Step 2: The Purge
We spent the next two weeks eating the remaining processed items in the house. This is another good way to kids process the dismissal of these items. Goodbye chicken rib-meat soy protein dinosaur-shaped grossness. Goodbye orange powder disguised as cheese. Goodbye inexpensive hot dogs made from God knows what. Goodbye goldfish, Pirate's Booty, chips, go-gurts, frozen pizzas, and more. I was cheering inside. And also a little nervous - what if this didn't work? I pressed on anyway.
Important Note About the Purge: Before I get messages about how my kids will be missing out on their childhood, it's important to note that have not relegated my kids to only eating unprocessed foods. I want them to understand that while chips and cookies will no longer be staples in our home, they will still be able to eat them at appropriate times, and enjoy them for what they are - delicious sweet or savory treats.
Also worth noting: I'm not the mom who doesn't let her kids have cake at birthday parties. I'm the mom that is super ok with cake at the birthday party because I know my kids haven't lavished in that stuff all week.
Do you think your kids could on board with unprocessed eating?
Not a chance!
Mmmmm.....maybe. If I bribed them.
I think so! It might take some time though.
Step 3: Replenish with Minimally- or Unprocessed Food
After the purge is complete, it's time to stock up on your new menu items. This is where I found our community-supported agriculture (CSA) program to be incredibly helpful.
Since the veggies in the CSA are seasonal, I'm forced to find recipes based on what I had rather than having to try and figure it out. This is helpful in the beginning when going unprocessed can seem overwhelming.
Check out my other blog posts to help you with menus and what it's like to get your veggies at a CSA.
Step 4: Create Your Staples and Streamline
Real talk: it took a good two weeks for the new menu to start sticking with the kids.
I got through those two weeks by unprocessing previously purchased meals. Homemade pizza was a big hit! Plus, I love pizza so so so so much, now I could have it too! Today, pizza is a weekly meal in our house.
My kids love rice and beans, so I upped my game from canned beans in the microwave to using dried beans and making them the traditional way. I was excited (read: relieved) when they shared they loved them. I cook a bag of beans and then use them in various meals throughout the week, such as tacos, Italian stuffed collard greens or Southwestern salad.
This is also where you can create variations of meals for the kids based on what the adults are eating. Middle child will eat what the adults eat, while oldest and youngest will not.
Real life example: roasted eggplant pasta. I will reserve some mariana without the eggplant for one child, and the other will only eat the pasta plain. So in this instance, everyone gets to eat what they want and I didn't have to cook three separate meals.
This has been my biggest lesson.
Take a look at what you typically eat, find ways to unprocess it, and then how you can make variations for your kids.
Another example is tacos. I prepare all the fixings and let the kids make their own. Again, each person gets to eat what they like and I didn't have to make different meals.
When kids have a say in what they eat, they'll grow up with a healthy relationship with food, which is my goal with this entire endeavor.
We've been at this for four months now and the kids are in the swing of it. While they don't eat my meals with the voracity of a frozen pizza or chicken nuggets, they are finally used to the fact that those "foods" are no longer showing up on their plates come dinner
time. And I think that's a huge win.
Step 4: Go slow. Do what you can. Give grace.
People can get overwhelmed with the switches, so I encourage you to go slowly. It'll make the changes stick and make the process more fulfilling. And if you need to go to Chick Fil-A or pick up a frozen pizza sometimes, just do it. Give yourself grace and do what you can at the next meal.
Unprocessing is a process! Progress not perfection and find wins wherever you can! For me, not making separate meals makes dinner easier and more enjoyable because I'm not stressed - let's be real that's a big win for everyone.
This journey is a long game with milestones along the way. Take a beat and recognize how far you have come and celebrate it!
Hit me up in the comments or email me with questions about what you might want to put on your own menu!