Making healthy food choices and educating our daughter about nutrition is important to us as parents and as a family. We feel one of the most important steps begins with us as parents leading by example. To help us in this effort, we started gardening and making sure our daughter is involved in the process of growing, planning menus and cooking. This has helped us teach her the importance of bringing nutritional meals to the table. But the choice to be healthier really took hold before we even became parents.
We began to evaluate the food choices we were making in the early stages of planning a family. For my wife it was important to have a healthy pregnancy and I came to the stark realization that I was fifty pounds overweight. We made a decision to change the way we eat and to make healthier food choices. The adjustment was difficult at first, but soon became easier to embrace. We started slow by controlling our portions, treating meat as a side dish and eating more fresh vegetables. In addition we eliminated the number of times we ate at restaurants and ordered take-out. The immediate effect was that we felt better overall and slowly I started to shed the extra pounds. The foundation was set not just for us, but for our child.
Beginning our own garden was crucial to controlling how and where our food came from. Living in the city limits our green space. Between two small plots, containers, and hanging baskets we overcame the spacial limitations. Over the years having a garden has educated the whole family in the growing process from seed to table. The seasons have been worthwhile even though they can come with successes and failures. As our daughter has grown so has the garden. She has gotten involved in the planning, the planting and the care of the garden. Harvesting gets everyone involved in creating ways to use what we have for healthy meals.
Trying new ways to prepare vegetables opens up the door for sharing and enjoying cooking together. On the weekend we’ll take a few moments to talk about what we want to prepare for the upcoming week. The cook books are spread out onto the living room table and we collaborate on the week’s menu. The final picks are placed on a white board in the kitchen. Then we get to the fun of spending time together as a family cooking. Many times the kitchen may end up on the messy side, but everyone is proud and excited to try the end product. Luckily our daughter has never put up a wall when it comes to trying new food. It allows us to experience a range of cuisines, which as parents we welcome.
The keys for us was getting our child involved, teaching healthy eating habits early, and setting a good example. We can only control so much in our children’s lives, but we can provide a guide that hopefully can be taken with them as they grow to make healthy nutritious choices. What we share as a family at the dinner table and being active together has fortunately kept everyone happy and fit. And that’s something I hope our daughter carries with her throughout her life.
Image: EdAtHomeDad (Edgar Correa)
Starting early is the most important thing because once they’re in school you realize how little control you actually have!