anyone else? starting healthy living...

amd1982

re-post from the eco-friendly board...

 

i recently decided to make a lifestyle change for both myself and my children with a majority plant-based diet that really just revolves around a lot more fruits and veggies, along with eating foods that are GMO free and organic. Basically I am just trying to cut down the processed foods that we ingest and limit the things that really are not good for us. Obviously I realize there are always going to be times when it's ok to bend the rules - I will never be the parent who won't allow her kids to have a cupcake at a birthday party or a special occasion, but fatty meats, processed foods and Oreo cookies are not something I want my children eating daily or even weekly for that matter.

My in-laws watch the kids 1-2 days a week (one afternoon and then one full day) and usually bring along a lot of unhealthy snacks that they give to our twins (Oreo's, cheddar Goldfish, vanilla wafers, etc). All things I really do not want them eating. Although my MIL does give them fruits and stuff, she believes in treating them. I understand it's a grandparent thing, and I am not trying to take away the fun stuff (like going out for an ice cream every now and then) but I really feel strongly about this processed foods thing and I'd like them to know about it. My MIL can be a bit difficult and somewhat judgmental, if not a little bitchy. Any ideas as to how I can get my point across without making it seem like they're wrong and I'm right?

Also if anyone else has this kind of diet, want to share some of your great finds out there or even some good recipes for healthy/vegetarian eating?

pb_bride

Good luck to you and hope your ILs can see and accept your point of view. I can understand why grandparents want to treat their grandkids, and it's hard to tell them no without hurting their feelings. Perhaps you can suggest them limit their treats to just one day a month (pick a day, say first Monday or each month), or tell them they can bring treats when they are visiting as g'parents instead of caretakers, so they can do that when they come visit on weekends but not during the week.

 I SAH so I have time to cook from scratch most of the time, and we avoid processed foods as much as possible.  We don't eat much meat; I think of it as a 'side dish' rather than the main course,  Mark Bittman's Food Matters cookbook helped a lot. We actually eat meat more often now after M was started on solid foods, as I want to make sure he gets enough protein and is exposed to different types of meat. But we eat a small amount of meat  at meals.  

I don't like processed foods because majority of them have high sodium content, plus all the preservatives or chemicals in them.  So for M, I make my own cheddar cheese crackers, bake my own bread, muffins and pancakes.  The only processed foods he gets is the occasional cheerios, hummus, ketchup, naan, and commercial pizzas. These foods constitute a small amount of his daily diet.