Making the Transition
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. (Make sure you check out my recipe for plant based cheese, it made all the difference when it came to our transition.)
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 my self 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 nice 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.
Snacks
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”. It’s a vicious cycle, but it can be remedied.
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 wined 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’m 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.
“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.”
Picky Eaters
I did not know the joy of having a picky eater until I had my youngest. My first born will eat any thing 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 some thing 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 8 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….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.
PICKY EATER TIP 01
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!
PICKY EATER TIP 02
Add sprinkles!!!
They make everything more fun and appealing to picky eaters!
PICKY EATER TIP 03
Make familiar foods.
Just clean them up and make them as wholesome as possible.
PICKY EATER TIP 04
Keep things colorful!
Kids eat with their eyes first even more so than adults!
Time to get cooking!
START YOUR JOURNEY
Plantiful Kids Cookbook is now available! Plantiful Kids offers tips for encouraging little ones to get involved in the cooking process and trying new foods. It guides parents through everyday challenging situations like snack time, school lunches, picky eating and travel.
