food. it’s really what motivates me most, i think. i mean, i like other things. really, i do. but food…. wow…. good food can get me to go places i don’t want to go. really bad food can get me to leave early! with kids, food is also a huge motivator. i remember learning somewhere in my education/parenting classes that parents and teachers should not use food as a motivator. supposedly it causes unhealthy eating habits. i suppose those who were raised in the ‘clean plate club’ will agree… since it makes it really hard to lose weight if you always have to clean your plate!

food has been at the top of my priority list as of late. with the new discovery that mia can not eat soy, i have to go back through everything i currently feed her to see if it is still ok for her to eat it. soy is in everything. i had to take a very hard look at what i have been feeding her, also. turns out i feed her way too much. her constant complaint of hunger was making me feed her more, instead of looking to see if she was getting food her body actually wanted.

now i am setting up a completely different system of eating. it will take some time to get everyone on board, i imagine. i had to get rid of mia’s favorite protein bars. i found new ones, made by the same company, that she is not very thrilled about. the good news is time helps with that. she will forget what the other ones tasted like and be more willing to eat these after a few weeks pass.

i found a new gfcfsf cheese. i have not given it to her yet. i am hoping that tonight will be the night for that. the pizza dough is a bit labor-intensive, so i put it off. (yes, i am still my slothful self) i also need to actually make the rolls that she loves since i bought the ingredients over a week ago.

this morning, she had 3 scrambled eggs. that’s way down. i used to make 5 or 6. seriously… she would eat them and ask for more. now i tell her to have an apple after the eggs if she is still hungry. for lunch i packed her a few slices of deli ham, some strawberries and spinach (yes, she has eaten spinach if it is wrapped around a strawberry!), one serving of annie’s bunny something-or-other cereal (no dyes, no artificial anything), two pickles and her water bottle. normally i would put all of that plus an apple, a banana, a peach cup and probably a protein bar. waaaay too much.

i am trying. it is also helping me on my quest to lose weight. if mia can’t eat it, i am less inclined to buy it. i realize that means that soph and louisa are missing out on some of their favorite treats…. but do they really need those? i mean, who NEEDS go-gurts? ice cream? sugary cereals? need is a funny word. but when it comes to food, need is generally pretty well defined by that food pyramid thingy (which has changed a lot since i was a kid, btw)….

mia was explaining to me how the foods are vertical now, instead of horizontal. she also was quite aware that she does not eat all of the categories. according to her, all grains are OUT. (i try to remind her she can eat rice and a few others, but as far as she is concerned, i am wrong) milk is out (true). she does not want to eat any more animals (although she says eggs are not chicks YET). that leaves her fruits and vegetables. this is usually where she really struggles. last night, though, we had the break-through of her eating spinach wrapped around strawberries!!!!

anyway, so how much time do you think about what you eat? how about what you feed your kids? do you read labels? have you ever looked at the label on a lunchable?

http://www.kraftrecipes.com/products/productinfodisplay.aspx?siteid=1&product=4470002455

i hope that link works for you. it’s to the label for kraft’s turkey and cheese lunchable. take note of the fat, sodium, and cholesterol. then look next to the label at the list of ingredients. can you find the preservatives???? i shudder when the girls ask for a lunchable. yes, i know it is ‘fun’ to have everything together like that. but it’s also loaded with stuff that is NOT good for their bodies.

the next time you go grocery shopping, read the labels. you should be able to pronounce all words in the ingredient list. fats, cholesterol and sodium need to be at a minimum. and that food pyramid up above? yes, it is a guideline. but it is a very good one.  it’s a guideline i plan to follow a lot more carefully from now on.

think about it