Nutrition

"One of the most vital roles in parenting is feeding our children; a role that requires time, thought, and energy."

Nutrition is one of the most important aspects of raising a healthy child and may also be one of the most challenging in today's fast-paced, fast-food society. As parents, we must be educated about what we feed our kids and how to get them to eat nutritious foods. We don't advocate one particular diet or type of foods, nor do we suggest that you never allow your children certain foods. Learning as a family where your food comes from is one of the most important things you can do for your health, the environment, your local economy, and the future of the next generation.

From the industrial farms to the processing plants to the shiny grocery stores to the drive-through lanes; the vital role food used to play in the lives of our ancestors (and does today in many other cultures) is all but lost. The pride our grandmothers and great-grandmothers took in serving a homemade meal has been replaced by society telling us that we have better things to do. Feeding our kids has become yet another task made easier thanks to McDonald's and pre-packaged dinners. Sure, once in awhile probably won't hurt, but the sad fact is that for many children it is their regular lunch or dinner, leaving them undernourished. That's right, in spite of our vast knowledge of nutrition and easy access to a huge variety of food, many of today's children may actually be undernourished!

This is not the result of famine or poverty, but a well-planned and well-funded industrial food system that is based on "quantity rather than quality" as Michael Pollan puts it. Slick marketing, scare tactics, outright lies, and even guilt aimed at parents to keep them dependant on these corporate giants to do the most important and basic job they have to do - feed their children. We have the luxury of picking up a quick meal for our children without putting hardly any thought or effort into it, and maybe for a cheap price too. However, our children are paying a much higher price. A generation facing previously unheard of rates of asthma, ADD, cancer, diabetes, autism, birth defects, and learning disabilities; our children need us to provide them with the best future possible and it starts with nutrition.

We highly recommend reading Michael Pollan's books The Omnivore's Dilemma and In Defense of Food. You can also check out his website for tons of great info. He is one of the most knowledgeable, articulate, and down-to-earth nutrition writers of our time. We owe him credit for many of the ideas here and the better health of our family.

Cooking with Kids

Nutrition Blog

Kids and Family Gardening

Find current food industry news and see how you can get involved through the Union of Concerned Scientists FEED.

Visit the Food Democracy Now website to get informed about sustainable food production and protection of our rights to healthy and safe food. United States farmers need our help to ensure that they are able to provide the necessary products for our very existence and a sustainable future for our children.

Let's Eat

danielle@fullcirclechild.com