Hey folks, Board-Certified Health Coach Erin Power is here to answer your questions about how to get your kids to eat healthier. Whether you have teens in the house or are just starting your baby on solids, you’ll learn actionable tips on transitioning your family from a Standard American Diet to a Primally aligned one. Got a question you’d like to ask our health coaches? Leave it below in the comments or over in the Mark’s Daily Apple Facebook group.
Angela asked:
“What’s the best way to transition my carb and sugar-loving teenagers to paleo? I’ve been eating this way for a while, but I think it’s finally time my kids started eating like this too.”
By the time your kids can buy their own food, it’s harder to get them to follow your food rules. That being said, my guess is you’re still the one bringing home the groceries and making the meals. Which means you’re still in charge when it comes to (the majority of) what goes in their mouths.
Is Paleo Good for Teens?
Teens can benefit from a paleo diet as much as you and I can. Even more so as teens’ nutrient needs are higher during this stage than nearly any other time of their life. Not only that, issues like acne, irritable bowel, and ADHD can be reversed and corrected through improving diet and gut health.
The back-to-school season is always bittersweet. Emotionally, it’s a tug-of-war between relief that the kids are returning to school, anguish that the summer is already over, and dread at the thought of having to get the kids out of the house on time every morning.
Primal parents often feel torn on the issue of school lunches. On the one hand, we generally like to control what our kids eat. On the other hand, packing lunch every morning is a grind. By my count, I’ve packed somewhere north of 2,500 lunches since my eldest started school, and I only have two kids who aren’t even in high school yet. (I just calculated this for the first time. That number makes me want to go take a nap!)
Read MoreHi folks! This week, Erin is here to help you get the non-primal eaters in your life onboard with your way of eating. From carb-crazed kids to aging parents, she’ll be sharing her own personal strategies for finding balance, while transitioning away from the Standard American Diet. Got more questions? Post them in the comments section below or over in our Mark’s Daily Apple Facebook group.
Maggie asked:
“My kids love bread. Is there any bread that is good for you? As they were eating their 3rd slice at dinner last night, I read aloud the long list of ingredients shaking my head. Any suggestions?”
I hear from a lot of my clients that, now that they know the ills of grain-based foods (among other things, grains contain lectins, a toxic substance that can reduce the body’s ability to absorb nutrients), they’d love to get their kids off of them too.
The young, resilient bodies of kids don’t often suffer the consequences of eating grains as immediately or as noticeably as we grownups do. In a sense, they don’t have as much skin in the game; they have less immediate incentive to make a healthier choice. They may not develop IBS, eczema, or PCOS ‘til they’re in their twenties or thirties which, for a kid, is a lifetime away.
That said, if you really want to steer them in a different metabolic direction (and it sounds like you do), the time to start is now.
Read MoreAlmost no one’s happy with school these days. Kindergarteners are sitting in front of devices for 4-5 hours a day. Teens are dreading daily online meetings and getting prescriptions for “Zoom fatigue.” Some of this is growing pains—kids, teachers, and parents are being asked to completely change the way they do school on a moment’s notice, and change like that doesn’t come easily. But that’s not the only reason.
There just aren’t many great options left. Parents don’t want their kids stuck on the computer all day, nor do they want them in class masked up and unable to touch or play with their peers. There are big problems in every direction.
Change is in the air. People are fed up with the new way of doing things and realizing they don’t like the old way all that much either. I don’t have kids in school anymore, but I do have a grandkid who will be in school soon. Besides, everyone who lives in a country has a stake in the school system of that country. The schools shape the people who become the adults who shape the nation. That affects everyone. Something needs to change.
If I could wave a wand, how would I change school?
Read MoreHi, everyone, Lindsay here. As a parent of school-aged kids, the upcoming school year is front and center in my mind. Like you, I’m trying to figure out how to make distance learning work for my family. Before starting today’s post, I want to acknowledge that everyone’s situation is different. Family structures, finances, support systems, living arrangements, access to technology, and employment all affect how we’ll approach this upcoming school year. Not to mention, our kids have unique needs, strengths, and challenges.
There is no one-size-fits-all solution. A lot of parents are facing tough dilemmas. Their school districts’ solutions simply aren’t workable for them for various reasons, sometimes reflecting larger societal issues. While I’m going to offer some simple, concrete steps and encouragement, I also don’t want to minimize the challenges that some people are facing. I’d love for other parents/caregivers to join the discussion in the comments and let us know how you’re juggling everything.
The new school year is almost upon us, and I’m sure I’m not the only parent who feels like my head has been spinning for five months. After being thrown into distance learning in March, school districts are still scrambling to figure out what’s happening this fall. Teachers and parents are rightfully worried about how to balance seemingly un-balanceable interests: educating our kids, supporting working parents, making sure all kids have equal learning opportunities (always an issue), maintaining kids’ socioemotional wellbeing, and allowing schools to stay funded, all while protecting the health and safety of students, their families, teachers, and staff.
Read MoreAt my house, dinner often looks like grass-fed rib eye, grilled to medium rare with salt and pepper, and broccoli roasted with avocado oil and cooked ‘til crispy. It’s satisfying, satiating, and metabolically in line with the way I like to eat.
Dinner probably looks fairly similar at your place too. Only while grilling up your perfect cut of steak, you might also be firing up a big pot of mac ‘n cheese or popping some dino nuggets and waffle fries into the oven for the picky eaters in your household. Especially if your kids are used to conventional, Standard American Diet type fare.
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