I recently read a book that has drastically altered how I think about parenting. The book is called Simplicity Parenting by Kim John Payne. In his book, which I highly recommend, he discusses many different facets of simplifying the way in which we parent. One element that he discussed is to simplify your families food options.
As busy parents and individuals, we know all too well how difficult this task can be. I'll highlight a few interesting points from the Simplicity Parenting book and then we will dive in to a few of my go to strategies for simplifying your individual or families' food choices.
Seventeen thousand products were introduced into the grocery stores this year. From the book Salt, Sugar, Fat by Michael Moss, I have learned how the big corporate food companies try to hijack our tastebuds and our children's tastebuds by constantly introducing new products that are highly stimulating foods. They set the bar so high that children lose the ability to recognize and differentiate more subtle flavors.
Food is meant to nourish not entertain.
The younger children are, the easier it is to make a switch to healthier unprocessed ways of eating. As you increase rhythm and regularity, pickiness substantially decreases because children don't feel the need to exert control since their lives have become highly predictable.
If you learn to limit your food choices, you will not have to exert as much energy into deciding what to feed yourself or your family.
Setting a rhythm creates a predictable beat, so when you step outside of that beat you get a highly responsive surge of energy and excitement for that spontaneous move. Occasional high notes are genuinely welcomed against a steady rhythm.
We have covered why we should simplify our food, now let's talk about how to simplify our food.
I have 3 strategies that I rely on to keep things simple and unprocessed
The first strategy is to have an array of what I call, "make ahead mix-ins" in my refrigerator. These are items that you can chop and prepare beforehand AND that can have multiple uses. My make ahead mix-ins can stand alone as a snack or a lunch. They also can be combined to be a side dish for dinner, a quick lunch, a last minute picnic or a no-mess breakfast, or even an on-the-go breakfast.Sounds great right? Ok, here is how to do it.
One thing that has really helped me, is to have a consistent shopping day and consistent prep day. On Sunday, I hard boil 12 eggs for the week. I also mostly make the crackers on Sunday. They are super easy but require a day of drying out on the counter top. I pop them in the oven Sunday night or Monday morning after school drop off. Monday is my shopping day so I will make a yummy sauce on Monday that I will use throughout the week for lots of different recipes. I also slice red peppers, julienne some carrots, and empty my bag of kale into a glass bowl. I find that the kale keeps much better in a bowl rather than in the bag. Often, I will spiralize zucchini, sweet potatoes, and/or yellow squash. I usually do this Monday afternoon because my little boys like to do it, so I save it for them to do. I have found that by spiralizing some vegetables, I end up eating fewer grains or pasta and more veggies.
Make ahead Mix-ins
Yummy sauce: You want to choose a sauce that is great on salads, can be a marinade, and can be drizzled over roasted or steamed veggies. Here are two of my favorite sauces.
Hard boiled eggs (changed my life, seriously) see this post to learn how to make perfect hard-boiled egg
Life Changing Crackers: These crackers from Sarah over at mynewroots.org are in fact life changing. They can be a cracker, substitute for toast, and are so delicious toasted with a fried egg on top. They are also AMAZING with chicken salad. Forget the roll or the wrap, just use a cracker to scoop up some chicken salad. They can also be crumbled for a fantastic crumble on top of a salad or cooked veggies.
Julienned carrots: Lately, I have been buying a huge bag of big carrots at Costco. It always seems like so many carrots to get through, but we always end up making it through to the bottom of the bag. I like to be able to julienne some carrots so that I can quickly throw into a salad or wrap. I will also slice a several carrots for my boys to eat.
Sliced red peppers: Crunchy, colorful, and sturdy. Sliced red peppers hold up well for a several days and are a great thing to pull out for the kiddos or me to dip into hummus.
Soaked almonds: We just started doing this at home and we love it. My husband actually does this. Soaking almonds and walnuts as well as any other type of nut, makes them much easier to digest and allows the nutrients from the nut to be absorbed better by your body. We just throw in an handful of nuts in any container and fill it with water. The next morning, we dump it out and rinse the nuts off and they are good to go. They are definitely a lot softer to eat. It will be an adjustement at first but I prefer it now. I think our little boys enjoy them more too, now that they are easier for their little teeth to bite into.
Big bowl of Kale: Kale is my green of choice. It is sturdy and doesn't wilt after a few days. I can make green juices with it, steam it, make a salad with it or throw it into a pasta dish. I love it. I don't find it bitter at all, and if you have a good dressing on it then you just taste the dressing.
Spiralized Zucchini, Sweet Potatoes, and Yellow Squash: As I mentioned above, I save this for my little guys to do. It's fun to watch a vegetable turn into a "noodle"
My last strategy is to have a lot of portable fruit on hand. This is hardly a strategy because I don't really have to do anything other than have it available and slice it when needed. However, I find that it makes it easy for the kids to grab a snack that is unprocessed, and that they can get themselves. It also makes it quick to pack a food for the beach and pack balanced lunches. Here are some ideas of good portable fruit options.
Portable fruit
Apples
Cutie oranges
Plums
Peaches
Grapes
There you have it, my three stragies for simplify your food:
1. Make ahead mix-ins
2. Consistent Shopping/Prep Day
3. Portable Fruit
Those are my tried and true tips that help to set a rhythm and simplify our family's food. In the spirit of Better7, I encourage you to try this strategy for 7 days and focus on finding a way to set a healthy food rhythm in your home.
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