Brown Baggin' It

Okay, we need to have the talk.  Mostly because I am 99.999 percent sure that there are other moms out there whose kids experience the dreaded "cheeto envy" on a regular basis.  I'm not going to lie.  It's a dilemma.  I am a complete fuddy duddy when it comes to allowing my kids to consume the lunches they serve at school.  Actually, I don't think anything with a 3 to 25 ratio of natural ingredients to preservatives qualifies as "lunch" anyway.  Not to mention the hormone and antibiotic fortified milk that literally gives me a coronary to even THINK about.  Seriously, I don't think I'll be even CLOSE to as kookie about drugs or alcohol as I am about school lunch.  Just say no.  That Nancy Regan, she was really on to something.

With toddlers and pre-schoolers, you can just lie (shut-up, yes you do).  They don't know the difference.  But by the time your kid has been around the block a few times and has mooched a few otter pops off "Favorite Neighbor Guy," or when his friend has brought an extra dessert to school EVERY day because his friend's mother was convinced your son was totally deprived, but really it was because you'd rather your son not lose any extremities due to the onset of the completely avoidable type 2 diabetes (this may or may not be in reference to myself)?  Yeah, you've got a problem.  And let me tell you, I've had more than a few tussles with my 6 and 8 year old.  And here in lies the dilemma.  Which battles do I surrender to?  See, for me, this whole parenting thing is all about strategically picking my battles.  Especially when it comes to my kid's nutritional wants and needs.  And while I have willingly waved my white flag more times than I care to admit, I'm convinced that a good solid truce is the most effective outcome.  Common ground.  It exists.  And I'm going to prove it to you.

First, you have to decide which issues are absolutely non-negotiable.  For me, it's; no dairy products (my 6 year old is allergic so that's a no brainer), no red meat, no fried foods/hydrogenated oils, and no white flours.  So basically, we just don't eat that stuff.  Ever*.  The negotiable list includes the stuff that we don't eat at home, but on special occasions (birthday parties, restaurants, special dinners at other people's houses), my older kids can decide for themselves (yeah, I just lie to my 2 year old).  It includes;  no processed sugars, no food dyes, no preservatives, no meat, and no eggs.  Your lists will probably be different than mine but the important thing is that kids understand what constitutes a "special occasion."  Stick like glue to the things that you decide are non-negotiable but keep that list short and remember that kids need to feel like they have space to make some decisions.  So if you feel the urge to break out the grey trench coat and the little brown mustache, you might want to reconsider your goals.  Just sayin'.

Next on my list of suggestions is to talk about it.  A LOT.  Answer every question you can with a visual explanation.  When we talk about sugars, I get out some sugar and show them how many tablespoons there are in a can of pop.  And then we look up diabetes on the internet and discuss how a disease like that might affect someone's life.  And my personal favorite is the belly button game.  After a hearty, nutrient packed meal, I lift up their shirts and look into their belly buttons to see if their dinner is making them strong yet.  If it is, then we move on the the flex check where they show me just how well all those vitamins and nutrients are working.  Occasionally they'll bust out some hand stands and tricep dips just to make their case.  Keep it about being healthy and feeling good instead of looking any certain way.  You don't want to create a bunch of emotional closet eaters.  Helloooooo Biggest Loser!

Okay, here's a biggie.  Stop caring what other people think about the way you feed your kids.  GET.  OVER IT.  It's between you and them.  Period.  Make your expectations clear to your kids and to the people who spend time with them and then work on toughening up your skin.  You're gonna have to just trust me on this one.  If you are in the process of making big dietary changes or even plan to, you will be met with extremely tactless skeptics.  And I'm not referring to your kids.  Oddly enough, the biggest hurdles on the path to a truly healthy lifestyle usually come in the form of other parents.  Parents who are hell bent on shoving a cupcake down your kids throat so that they don't feel so guilty for allowing their kid to shove 5 cupcakes down his own throat.  If all else fails, give'm the bird smile politely, and walk away. 

And lastly?  Create a new kind of special.  This has been by FAR the most difficult step.  Mostly because in our society, food is tied to so many social and emotional events.  Pizza during the big game (during which BYU gets SLAMMED - boo yah), cookies, and other fine artery-clogging pastries after a baby blessing, popcorn and liquid candy....I mean Coke during a movie, and the list goes on.  The challenge is to find some healthy recipes that for whatever reason give you and your family the warm fuzzies, and use those to replace the stuff that used to lend it's self to the family bonding experience.  Because in reality, it IS your family that you're bonded to.  Not the ingredients you used to make dinner.

One such recipe for my family would be Brown Bag Granola Bars.  Remember that Cheeto envy I mentioned?  This recipe is my saving grace.  They're sweet and crunchy and......special (granted, Cheeto's are more processed-cheesy than they are sweet, but you get the idea).  

One last thought, then I'm done.  Did you know that McDonald's chicken nuggets have 38 ingredients?  38!!!!!!  18 of which are derived from corn!  Seriously, I think my head just exploded.

*In full disclosure, we're still working on the transition from cows milk to rice, hemp, and almond milk so occasionally I do let my two kids without the milk allergy put organic cows milk on their cereal.  See?  Picking my battles.

Brown Bag Granola Bars

1 1/2 cup rolled oats

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

2/3 cup wheat and barley nugget cereal (Grapenuts)

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1 beaten egg or 3 tablespoons egg substitute

1/3 cup applesauce

1/4 cup honey or agave nectar

3 tablespoons brown sugar (I just use a few packets of stevia)

2 tablespoons grapeseed or coconut oil

1/4 cup unsalted sunflower seeds

1/4 cup chopped walnuts

1 bag chopped dried mixed fruit

you can mix and match any ingredients you want after the oil.  Some things I have used are hemp seeds, flax seeds, pecans, mango pieces (chopped), carob chips, pumpkin seeds (pepitas), coconut flakes, dried cranberries, and peanuts.  My favorite combination is pumpkin seeds, walnuts, hemp seeds, coconut flakes, and carob chips.

Preheat oven to 325.  Line a 9x13 inch baking pan with aluminum foil.  Spray the foil with cooking spray.

In large bowl, stir together the oats, flour, cereal, and cinnamon.  Add the egg or egg substitute and applesauce, honey brown sugar, and oil.  Mix well.  Stir in the sunflower seeds, walnuts and dried fruit and any other dry ingredients you want to add.  Mix well.  Spread mixture evenly in the prepared pan.

Bake 30 minutes, or until firm and lightly browned around the edges.  Let cool.  Use the foil to lift from the pan.  Cut into bars or squares, and store in the refrigerator.  I usually freeze mine because they are less crumbly.