“How am I going to transition my family to a plant based diet?”  This was the biggest anxiety filled question I had when I decided that a plant based diet was an absolute must not only for my health and well being but also for the health and well being of my young family.

When I first told my husband that I wanted to transition our family to a whole foods plant based diet for my health and the health of our family, his first reaction was…. “Please no, I can’t go through another diet change.”  This was a fair reaction as I had tried every diet on the market that promised perfect health and a slim waistline.  But as you can imagine, all these fad diets overpromise and underdeliver with their unsustainable restrictions and unrealistic approaches.  

After many failed attempts to improve my health and the health of my family, I came across the lifetime work of many plant based medical doctors that claimed a whole foods plant based diet was the key to vibrant health and  longevity.  After months of research and hours spent watching lectures on plant based diets, I was convinced that this was what I had been looking for all these years.  Now the only major hurdle was going to be getting my family on board.

Like so many families in America we did the best we could to eat well but our diets were still full of processed foods, and fast food runs.  We ate loads of meat and dairy, and our diets were lacking fresh fruits and vegetables and overloaded with fat.  Once we started making changes with our diet to a more whole foods plant based diet, our health started to dramatically improve, and excess weight was coming off of my husband and I effortlessly.

But I know you are still wondering how exactly did I get my family on board. The truth is, I have an incredibly supportive and loving husband.  He had seen me struggle with my health and weight through the years, and how hard I would try to make changes only to be left feeling defeated and like no matter what I did, my health and weight didn’t change. So he agreed to watch the documentaries with me and listen to the lectures with me as a sign of support for me.  He agreed to give me a full 4 months of dedication to this new plant based venture, and then would reevaluate at the end of that.  

Well that was all I needed! I had 4 months to get us on the right track and hopefully start seeing some changes in our health and well being.  And guess what….at the end of 4 months not only had my husband lost 45 lbs, and I 35lbs, but he was feeling better than he had in years and wanted nothing to do with going back to eating the way we used to! Now years later here we are, still all plant based and the happiest and healthiest we have ever been!

Transitioning my kids to a plant based lifestyle was not as difficult as I thought it was going to be.  In the beginning I made sure to find ways to make plant based versions of the foods they were used to.  I made lots of vegan macaroni and cheese, spaghetti and garlic bread, quesadillas, and grilled cheese. I made sure to always have cheese sauce and ranch made so they had cheese for steamed veggies and ranch for dipping, and it made all the difference. 

Then little by little as we all adjusted and tried new things, we slowly started adding more diversity to our diet while still maintaining a simple and realistic approach.  I made sure to make treats for them like brownies and cookies, did these things have sugar? Yes they did, but I knew the ultimate goal was a whole food plant based diet and that it would be a process to get there, so I did not beat myself up over the fact that our diet in the beginning wasn’t completely sugar free. 

 Over the course of a few months my kids got more and more used to simple whole foods, like roasted sweet potatoes with steamed broccoli and cheese sauce with some frozen fruit for dessert or some chocolate banana nice cream.  

They slowly got used to less and less sugar as I learned to bake without the use of refined sugars. Their palates adjusted to the flavors of real whole foods and to the sweetness of whole fruits. It’s ok for it to be a process.  Make plant based versions of the things they are familiar with and it’s ok if they don’t love it…..They will learn in time to love it as their palates adjust to the wholesome food you are giving them.

Make sure to check out my new cookbook, Plantiful Kids .  This cookbook focuses on kid friendly foods that are both wholesome and satisfying.  It’s also great for getting a less than enthusiastic partner on board.

Ugh!! The snacking!! I don’t know about you but there is nothing that drives me more crazy than the incessant snacking because “mom I’m starving” but then is followed by the disinterest in the main meal, only to be followed by more snacking!! It’s a vicious cycle, but it can be remedied.  

When we first transitioned to a plant based lifestyle my kids had been used to snacking on crackers, chips, gummies, fruit ropes, etc… and the snacking habit didn’t magically disappear once we went plant based.  In fact it got worse because they weren’t overly excited about meal time as the food was now “different”.  So I had to tell my kiddos that there would be no more snacks an hour before meals so if they missed their window then they had to deal with it.  I also limited snacks to fresh fruits and veggies since the highly refined and palatable snacks they were used to were only stimulating their appetites. I mean, who can only eat a few potato chips and not want more?  And that solved the problem….Well not exactly. 

 They whined and pushed and begged and threatened mutiny over this change….But I chose to not get emotionally involved in their upset and I would calmly and with a smile let them know that I was sorry they felt that way, but the rules are the rules.  They may choose to have a snack off the permitted list, or they may choose to not have one, the choice is theirs.  

They did eventually get used to it and now they only snack when hungry and they also eat their food at meal time! It can be done mammas…don’t be afraid of their tantrums and whining. Empathize with their feelings but hold the boundary.  The choice in the end is theirs, they may choose to snack or not snack…it will empower them to start making their own healthy choices once they realize mamma is not going to budge.

When it comes to snacks for outings like hikes or going to the park or pool, I like using reusable bento boxes for their snacks. If you are having a hard time getting your kids off of the snack junk foods, be strong and be patient. As long as you are consistent and loving in your approach, your kiddos will eventually get used to eating wholesome snacks. Like everything, try to make their snacks as visually appealing as possible.

Snack Box 1
Fruit bars
Popcorn
Berries
Cucumbers

Snack Box 2
Earth Mix with sprinkles
Chickpeas
Peas
Orange slices

I did not know the joy of having a picky eater until I had my youngest. My first born will eat anything you put in front of him and even if it’s not his favorite…he will continue to eat it and develop a taste for it. My daughter on the other hand has challenged every ounce of good nature and patience within me. She is picky for sport. She seems to find great satisfaction in not wanting or liking something I’m offering. If she could have been self reliant from birth she would have preferred it.

I would like to sit here and tell you that she has been converted and loves everything I put in front of her…But that is not the case. She is almost 9 so there is still time to grow out of pickiness but the force is strong with this one. At any rate she has learned that I make one meal….she may choose to eat that meal or not eat that meal but the consequences are hers as well. Either a full belly or a hungry belly, and if dinner is not eaten, there is absolutely no snack available after.

I learned this lesson in the trenches…She would not eat at lunch but then snack on tons of fruit before dinner. That led to not eating dinner, then snacking on fruit after dinner. But she was snacking on approved items you say….yes, but she was also beating me at my own game, and I am not raising a fruit bat. And while fruit is amazing and I want her to enjoy lots of it, there’s also a whole rainbow of vegetables, sweet potatoes ,legumes and nuts and seeds to enjoy for well rounded health.

Thus I had to enforce the “If you don’t eat a reasonable amount of the main meal, there’s no snack, just your next meal,” rule. My rule is this…..You don’t have to like it, but you do have to be polite. If you choose not to eat, that is your choice…but there will be no snacking in between meals.”

• Get your picky eater involved in the cooking process. My daughter is always more willing to eat what she has helped make.  She takes great joy in clipping greens from the garden and making a beautiful salad from them.  She will even eat some of that salad!
• Give them a night where they get to pick what is for dinner. Friday is that night for us and they always choose plant based pizza, yes it’s more work for me but they get so excited picking out their toppings and rolling out their own pizza that it makes it all worth it. They are taking an active role in choosing wholesome foods and how to arrange them.
• Make familiar foods, just clean them up and make them as wholesome as they will tolerate…they are adjusting too and will need time.
• Get lots of different sprinkles to add to pancakes, earth mix, toast, or fruit for dessert! For some reason sprinkles make everything more exciting, and it’s even tastier if they can choose what sprinkles to put on their food.
• Invest in cute cookie cutters! Cutting fun shapes out of their sandwiches and toast can really make a big difference.  Remember kids eat with their eyes first just like we do!
• Get your little chefs some aprons and kitchen tools so they can help you in the kitchen.  You want to foster a love for eating well.
• Plant a small garden or go to farms that let you pick your own food. If you dont have the space for a garden then plant salad greens in a pot by a window and let them nurture it from seed to plant.  When children connect to where their food comes from, they are more willing and excited to eat the foods that nature provides.

Being a mom is hard work.  A lot of the time you are working so hard to give them the best you can to do right by them, and it blows up in your face.  It can seem like no matter what you do, they don’t like it, or they bicker and complain.  

I want to tell you to be strong, you are doing a wonderful job and sometimes doing the best job as a mother can be a thankless job….but it’s not forever.  Eventually kids grow and realise that you just want the best for them and you are doing the best you know how.

I want to encourage you to stay strong to your convictions about giving them a great start in life by feeding them healthy wholesome food.  These are habits and skills they will carry with them the rest of their lives so it’s important that you don’t give up.

Remember that you are in charge. They may whine, and bicker, and complain. it’s ok! your job is to keep them healthy, not to keep them from never being unhappy.  They will learn to love healthy food choices and will hopefully take these skills with them into the rest of their lives.

Don’t get involved emotionally with their upset over food changes, remember they can’t see longterm how you can. They can’t see how eating junk food will affect their health and happiness in the future, but you can.

Don’t take their complaining personally, just smile and empathize with what they are going through with kindness.  They are feeling frustrated and deprived of what they are used to eating but this is only momentary.  They need to feel heard and empathized with, but that doesn’t mean giving into their desires for junk food.

Instead allow them to get involved in meal and prep time.  Let them help decide the weekly meal plan so they feel like they are being heard and are being allowed to choose meals they will enjoy within the guidelines of a healthy diet.

From one mamma to another, you can do this.

Planning meals just takes a little time and a little forethought.  I always involved my kids in this process so they felt like they got to choose some of the meals.

Sit down with your little ones and thumb through this book and let them pick out some of the meals they would like to try.  Throw in a few desserts for the weekend and then make your grocery list.

If something can be frozen, then I make a double or triple batch…that way there’s always something that can be warmed up on the nights that everything falls apart.

I also like to batch prep baked goods, because if I’m going to make the effort to bake, that effort needs to last me several days.  When I make muffins, pancakes, or waffles, I make several batches so they can be frozen or stored in the fridge then popped in the toaster for a quick breakfast.

I’ll Let the kids choose 3-4 dinners, 2-3 breakfasts, and 2 desserts….then I fill in the rest and I usually try to make things that are 1. Easy, or 2. Use ingredients that the other meals do.

The more complicated or time consuming a meal is, the closer to the weekend it goes.  I favor simple quick meals during the busy week, and leave the “fancier” meals for the weekend when we can all cook together and enjoy the process.  No need to wear yourself out mama!

When you know there’s a busy week ahead of you, prep as much as you can in advance. I typically will make our meal plan for the week and then make all the sauces/ dressings for those meals on sunday before the week starts. If I’m making a pasta dish later that week I’ll even cook the pasta on sunday and keep it in the fridge until I’m ready to use it. If soup is on the menu later that week, then I will make it on Sunday so that it is ready to go. I’ll make breakfast foods ahead of time to make the weekly morning rush go a little smoother as well. If there is one thing I’ve learned over the years it’s that there’s never the amount of time or energy you think there will be during the week when you have kids.

It really just comes down to making things as easy and manageable as possible on yourself, and the way to do that is to prepare ahead of time.

Things To Make Ahead:
-dressings, dips, sauces, toppings
-Potatoes
-oatmeal
-rice
-pasta
-soup
-beans
-baked goods

Remember that simplicity is key and more than anything, consistency will get you there.  Try to relax and enjoy the journey, and know that not every meal will be their favorite and thats ok.  Involve your little ones as much as you can so they feel like they have some autonomy when it comes to their food choices, but maintain the boundaries you’ve established for yourself and your families health. From one mommy to another, may the force be with you!!

Love,
Kiki

P.S. Check out my cookbooks and meal plans to help you along your journey…