Primal nutrition for kids page

[GloriaO]

Any ideas/tips for getting your kids to eat Primal? I have 2 & 4 year old girls. Now that goldfish crackers, and PB & J sandwiches are out of the picture, I need some ideas for portable snacks and sack lunches. String cheese and grapes are our staple right now.


While on this subject, do you also have young children following Primal nutrition? If so, how is it going? My girls are doing ok at home, but it's a tough world out there when all their other friends have the animal crackers and fruit snacks in their lunch boxes and homes. Thanks!

[BarbeyGirl]

Jerky.

Mark's Primal Energy Bars.

Hard boiled eggs.

My now-famous Fat Guacamole Devils!

Olives and pickles.

Cream cheese rolled up in roast beef.

Apple slices with nut butter.

Guacamole and sliced jicama or other veggies.


Above all, remember that you control the food that comes into your home. Don't be afraid to take charge -- somebody has to beat this advertisement-whipped culture!

[lil_earthmomma]

Ya, we just don't buy processed food.


Snackplatters are popular with my toddlers, they usually contain some variation of: fruit and nut butter (either almond or hazelnut), veggies with dip (homemade mayo, sour cream and spices!), chunks of cold meat, cheese, nuts, pickles, devilled eggs etc.


For quick snacks my kiddos love a handful of frozen berries, or my littlest guy has a perverse love of fresh salsa. He eats it with a spoon! lol


It's all about adjustment. They won't starve without goldfish yk? They may complain a bit, but with tons of alternatives (jerky, nuts and raisins are our go to car snacks) they will adjust.

[FlyNavyWife]

There was a blog post on everyday paleo yesterday about just this. A very well-done one.

http://everydaypaleo.com/2010/01/31/...fast-and-more/

[slesca]

My five year old eats a lot of the following for snacks:

Apples

Celery w/ cream cheese or almond butter

Cashews (the only nut she likes for some reason)

Blueberries, rasberries, blackberries

Raw celery, carrots, broccoli, cauliflower with dip or guacamole

Cottage cheese

Cheddar slices

Plain yogurt with berries

Cold chicken legs

summer sausage/deer sticks


I control what I can and let the rest go. She still gets plenty of junk elsewhere. When she tells me that she wants x junk food that her friend has, I just say that I don't buy that because I don't believe it's healthy. She rarely asks a follow up question.

[lil_earthmomma]

I agree slecsa, they get crap at other's houses, playgroup etc and I'm not going to go nuts over it, I figure I balance it out by not having those things at home.

[GloriaO]

Thanks for all these great ideas! I think primal eating takes just a bit more time to prepare, but worth it at the end. My family has been doing this for about 2 months now, but my girls still haven't lost their cravings for all the snack crap out there (of course, I haven't either). But it's funny watching my girls get so excited to see cheerio cereal or goldfish crackers if being served at someone else's house. It's like they've been on withdrawal from these foods. I agree, I don't stress out about the things they get out there as long as I can control what we eat at home. Thanks, again! I am so glad there is a community of other families making this choice...I find it difficult for others to understand what we are doing.

[Caveman Sam]

Good question and great answers. I'll definetly be using some of these suggestions. I have a 2 and 3 year old and it's always a struggle. It would be easier if I could get Mom on board.

[neighborhood fit]

Thanks FlyNavyWife for the link! I am always trying to think of lunch ideas for my 10 year old (he hates the school lunches), and I that site had some good ones.

[FairyRae2]

I have an almost 3 year old. I try to make subs of all his old favorite foods in a primal friendly way, and am getting better and better at making fruit-sweetened only desserts. I also try to find out what will be served at parties etc. prior to going and make subs of whatever the meal and sides will be. (My ds has food sensitivity issues so he can't really have the food others make anyway--if he didn't, I might not bother...) HTH!