When we go shopping, our Bluey will frequently see something on the shelf that catches his eye. No surprise there- corporations spend big bucks to make sure their products
have that effect. Since our trips to the store are an on-going conversation about our family’s food values, we are happy to check out the products he sees and determine if they are something that can find a home in our shopping cart.
Our five year old knows the first thing we’ll do: flip the package over and start reading the ingredients.
“We have to check that there’s no MSG?”
— “That’s right Bluey.”
Bluey may be young, but he already knows to ask about the ingredients in food. He knows that MSG and Corn Syrup are not ingredients we allow in our home. He understands that as a vegetarian, he doesn’t eat animals or foods made from animals. He realizes that we check for BPA in canned goods and food storage containers. He’ll explain all this to his friends at any time.
Food is a constant conversation for our family during meals, snacks and shopping trips. We discuss where ingredients comes from, what foods you should eat and how much, and we struggle to find solutions to the fact that too many people in the world, and in our neighborhood, don’t have enough food.
Want your kids to grow up being able to talk intelligently about food? All you have to do is engage with them about it now.
Bluey knows so much about food because we didn’t wait for him to get to elementary school age to start a conversation about it. He’s been a part of these discussions since the day he was born. As an infant, he saw TRDad making applesauce and pea puree for him at home.
Start the discourse today. Make every meal a chance to talk about healthy food choices, and give your kids the tools to make good choices all their lives.