New to the series? Find Day 1 here.
According to the paperwork, Rosario was three years old when the authorities delivered her to the orphanage gates late one night. Her frail little body did not seem old enough to be three. She was so malnourished, her feet fit into newborn baby shoes.
Rosario’s big, black eyes were the only thing that betrayed her age. They were not innocent like baby eyes. Those eyes had seen too much.
Immediately, we went to the kitchen to find food for Rosie. The older children gathered around, delighted to be able to watch this starving little girl eat, delighted to be able to help fill her stomach for the first time in her life.
Rosario’s empty black eyes stared blankly at the plate. She did not know what to do with it. She flinched at the spoon when I tried to feed her.
I had been to the shanty town where Rosario had been found. I had seen the makeshift structures next to the railroad tracks where whole families tried to survive. I had seen the children crawling on the garbage heaps, barefoot, bleeding, and hungry. Most of their waking hours were spent in the pursuit of food.
We learned that often, Rosario’s family had absolutely nothing to eat. They mixed sugar water and fed it to the little girl to keep her from screaming with hunger.
When I came back to the States, I experienced a bit of culture shock, not because things were so very different, but because they were so much the same. We are suffering from malnutrition, from chronic exposure to poor and insufficient food choices, and our children are bearing the consequences.
The only difference is, we do it willingly.
Most people know that food impacts human health and behavior. That’s why most women improve their diets as soon as they find out they’re pregnant. They give up coffee, eat more protein, drink more water, and consume large amounts of prenatal vitamins. Why do they do that? Because they know they only get one chance to grow that baby, and most women want to do it right.
But babies don’t stop growing once they come out of the womb. That little body will continue to grow and develop for years. Even as an adult, that child will need proper nutrition to perform optimally, avoid illness, and feel her best. Yet most parents do not remain as fastidious about their child’s nutrition as they were in the first nine months of life even though they know that children are impacted by what they eat.
The problem is, we are unwilling to use our great knowledge, incredible wealth, and unprecedented access to healthy food to make different choices for ourselves or our children. We line up our minivans in the McDonald’s drive thru to purchase “food” that is counter- nutritional because it is convenient to us and has the benefit of making our kids feel full with the least amount of work or drama.
We willingly give them their daily dose of sugar water.
We see the results in the way our children behave. When my children eat poorly, they act poorly. Their bodies simply cannot handle a rush of sugar, preservatives, or artificial, processed garbage that is in most of the food targeted at children. Their systems are overwhelmed and they act accordingly.
When I feed them garbage because it is convenient for me, and then expect them to behave as if they have been nourished properly, I am not loving them. I am exasperating them.
I am being too harsh, surely. Perhaps I do not understand how hard it is to cook every day or work or take care of children. Perhaps I do not understand how much it costs to purchase unprocessed or fresh foods. Perhaps I do not understand that children would much prefer to eat a French fry than a baked sweet potato.
I understand the struggle. I am in the struggle. But I also know this:
Americans spend nearly five hours a day watching TV and less than half-an-hour a day preparing food.
Americans spend less than 10% of their income on food, the lowest percentage in the entire world. However, we spend about 5.6% of our total income on fast food, the highest percentage in the world.
Over the past 40 years, Americans have increased their caloric intake by over 500 calories a day. Only 13 of those extra calories came from fruits and vegetables.
25% of the vegetable calories most American children consume come from French fries or potato chips.
Americans spend over $110 billion dollars annually on fast food.
I just can’t accept the fact that we, privileged Americans, can’t do any better than that. I think we can. My conviction is this: we should use our resources to purchase and prepare the best food we can afford for our families. It is one of the great privileges and obligations of living with enough.
By “best,” I do not mean the most expensive. Eating well does not mean living richly. It means making deliberate, often simplified choices so your money buys more nutrition. It means refusing to trade your health for the sake of convenience. It means making the choice to feed your kids in a way that continues to build their bodies and sets them up for long-term health. It means guarding your energy by eating things that make you more alive, and refusing to eat the things that will cause you to crash an hour down the road.
I know it is overwhelming. Start small. Start with yourself. Cut out the foods that impact you negatively so that you can have the energy you need to enjoy your children. Start with the white stuff: sugar, white flour, white rice, etc. You may not even realize how these empty calories rob you of energy until you let them go. Start today.
Then, become educated. We have resources and options that other countries simply do not have. Use them.
It has taken me ten years to acquire the knowledge and resources I now have to make good food choices for my family. We have had a very limited budget and very little time, but by the grace of God, the best I can do today is better than the best I could do ten years ago.
And I am still learning. I read books, watch videos, scour websites. I search craigslist for the equipment I need to make fresh foods. I beg friends for the extra produce from their gardens and orchards so we can eat better. I grow fruits and vegetables in my small yard so the kids have the pleasure of eating the things we planted. There is a way!
Feed your children deeply. Nourish yourself richly. You will find that you enjoy your family more because of it.
Join us tomorrow for Day 21
1) Colossians 3:21 encourages us not to exasperate our children. How does this passage relate to the way we provide them with the resources (including food) to feel and act their best?
2) Take some time to educate yourself on the food problem in America. Check out the movies Food, Inc., Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead, and Fast Food Nation. Exolore websites such as 100 Days of Real Food, Cheeseslave, and many more. Purchase and read the book Nourishing Traditions. Check out Azure Standard for economical sources of real food. Leave your best real food sources in the comments below so we can all learn and grow together.
3) Make a commitment to change one food habit in your home for the better. What can you do today to nourish your family more deeply?
Great post! I appreciate your thoughts and your taking the time to write this. I have had very similar thoughts in the past year as I have discovered and learned more about real food/whole foods. Thank you for this!
You are most welcome. 🙂
Oops, I messed up somehow and commented twice…. ha ha just in case you missed it the first time!
Thank you for your blog, it is such a blessing in my life! Thought you might like this recipe, I made as instructed except that I substituted my homemade goat’s milk kefir for the buttermilk… DELICIOUS! They’re a cinch to make, my husband and I love them and our two little guys (4 & 2) would live off them exclusively if allowed. 🙂 Hope you like them as much as we do!
http://www.theprairiehomestead.com/2011/02/soaked-buttermilk-biscuits.html#comment-9332
YUM! I love using kefir in baking. In fact, I normally substitute any milk for kefir. But, I have not yet found a great biscuit recipe, so this is perfect. My daughter could eat biscuits 24/7. She’ll be very happy to test this out.
First I want to say that I genuinely enjoy your blog and have learned alot from you since I started reading….. Just wanted to put my two cents down on Americans and healthy eating. I agree with you that the general population is way off track, eating food that is very unhealthful. But I would also say that there is a portion of our society that is off track the other way – making healthy eating a god, or an obsession.
I’m sure you know people like this….. always asking if food is organic, pushing strange diets on you, refusing to eat if the food has any sugar or white flour, shocked at the margarine on the table, etc. While I agree that it is very important to eat healthy, (and I always cook our family meals from scratch and use whole wheat flour, etc), I also believe that it can become too much of an obsession at the expense of relationship.
Further, while I think it is very important to feed our own children healthfully, we should also have the poor of the world in mind. If I have a limited budget, should I spend it on organic food, and give nothing to the poor, or should I buy non-organic food so that I can afford to sponsor a child through Compassion, and therefore provide food for another?
As Americans, we have access to better food than anyone else in the world, at any time in history (Fresh produce, variety). Let’s use that to our benefit, but not become so concerned with eating perfectly that we forget to include the poor of the world, or hurt and alienate those around us.
I love you perspective and agree wholeheartedly that we should avoid the extreme of making healthy food an idol or an obsession. Sadly, it is our tendency to make all good things idols.
I also agree that we need to prioritize giving. Our resources were never meant to be kept to ourselves, and we have a global obligation to meet the needs of the poor and needy. My heart breaks for children of third world counties, especially, because I have seen them. So, when I say we should feed our children the best we can afford, for me, that takes giving in to account. We never sacrifice our charitable giving for the sake of purchasing more organic food. It is a very good point that you make. I hope that is understood.
But I think it must be understood that not everything we call food IS food. It is not nourishing. It does not feed our children or meet their nutritional needs. We must learn to recognize the difference. So while I don’t think we should neglect the needy of the world by any means, I also think we need to be careful not to deceive ourselves that we are feeding our own children if we are not. Does this mean we have to feed them 100% organic, unprocessed food? No. But it does mean that we recognize that much of what is being packaged for children has no redemptive value as far as nutrition is concerned, and we should try to find better options.
As I have struggled with these things myself, I have found that we actually spend less than most families our size. Much less. I don’t think people realize how economically a person can eat when they prepare food at home. It does take extra time, and not everyone has that luxury, but my hope is that everyone will consider what they can do to make changes in the right direction. Even very small changes like cutting out sugar can make a huge impact on the health of our children.
In our home, our budget has not increased much over the past ten years. So, our diets have become more and more simplified so that we can eat better food because we do not have the wiggle room in our budget to draw from anywhere else. That has meant that we have to buy cheaper better food. 🙂 We rarely eat meat. We eat a LOT of lentils, brown rice, etc. I purchase dry goods in bulk because it is more economical. It is much cheaper for me to bake bread at home than it is to purchase it. By eating simply, I not only nourish my children, but I have more resources to give.
I appreciate your thoughts on this and I hope that everyone reads your comment and is encouraged not to give up giving but to think how to live more simply so that good, healthful food is available to everyone.
Great thoughts!!! I agree!!!
It is amazing how little changes can make a huge difference in the lives of others, both in our own families and those around the world. Most of my thoughts on the poor stem from a stream of thought that is slightly off-topic (!) but on my mind this Christmas season.
Did you know that Americas spend 450 billion dollars on Christmas? Conversly, the amount of money needed to provide the whole undeveloped world with clean water is 20 billion. So much of what we deem nessecary in our culture suddenly pales in comparison to how far our money could go in other places….. Oh, I am really digressing here from the topic at hand, but just thought I would explain a little where i am coming from!!!
Blessings on you!!!!
Wow. That is a sobering thought. We have so much, don’t we? And yet we are so unwilling to part with it. Thank you for this reminder. I will need to think a little bit more about how we can do better in that regard. My kids are purchasing goats for a village this Christmas, thanks to my mother-in-law’s initiative, but I’d like to figure out how to help them SEE the difference more. I don’t think they always understand the disparity between our culture and most places around the world.
Great thoughts, and I heartlily agree!!
Along with your statistic that Americans spend 110 million a year on Fast food, I’ll add another: Americans spend 450 billion a year on Christmas. The money needed to supply the whole deveoping world with fresh water is ……. 20 billion. Kinda makes you wonder!
FYI everybody. I just found nourishing traditions at my local library so I can check it out before I buy it!
Oh, that’s great! Just a warning–it can be kind of overwhelming if it’s your first foray into healthy eating. But, it is a fabulous resource. She provides so much information. You will never look at food the same way again.
Many people don’t know a lot of that and will only get offended if they don’t want to change. Many people I talk to about healthy choices want to hear it but who knows maybe are just being friendly…? I think so many parents give up on “trying” new foods that are good for their children cause the kids fight them and many parents just want to give up. We need to educate our kids from a young age and be real with them why we eat the way we eat. Also giving them the foods they don’t like several times helps to gain a like for the flavor. I’ve seen my son who was very picky change drastically and now likes foods he didn’t like because I didn’t give up and kept trying. Have you tried ideas from the cook book Deceptively Delicious? Cute idea to get healthy foods into picky eaters
Thank you for that suggestion, Sophia. It is so true that we have to educate our kids along with ourselves. My kids have been more willing to try things if they know WHY I am making the changes and WHY I think it’s important and IF they see me eating it first! They love to help me in the kitchen and we talk about nutrition a lot, and I find that they are just as interested in taking care of themselves as I am.
Also, you are right in the fact that we have to give our kids more than one chance to try stuff. Sometimes, it takes perseverance, one bite at a time, for tastes to develop.
I have heard of that book but I have not looked at it. I will check it out! I posted the suggestion to the FB page for others to see. Thank you!
Interesting “food” for thought! ( ha ha) There is so much to be said on the subject I will try to keep it brief. I am a nurse with a bachelor’s of science in nursing but sadly the nutritional teachings are sorely lacking I’m afraid even in a nursing program. The most frustrating thing for me is not knowing who to believe. Who’s just a “whack” and who really knows what they’re talking about and will really make a difference for your health if you follow their suggestions. I think most people take this issue too far because our main problem is not just our food choices but our indulgences of them. Americans do not know how to eat in moderation, a cookie, a french fry, in moderation is not going to kill you (in my humble medical opinion) but the problem is two fold, total lack of moderation in the junk food area and total lack of any intake of raw fruits and vegetables (or even cooked for that matter!). To encourage Beth Stratton, my husband isn’t fully on board with my nutritional ideas but we have gradually made changes over the last 12 years that leave our diet healthier than what we grew up with. And he doesn’t have to eat everything I eat, I switched to almond milk because of a slight lactose intolerance, he still drinks cow’s milk. And the most important thing I learned about my children and nutrition in the last year is this: We had our own garden for the first time this year and my boys (2 and 4) now prefer cherry tomatoes and cucumbers over chicken nuggets! My husband even said the cucumbers were the best he’d ever eaten. All in all, we ate much healthier this summer and will continue to do so throughout the winter because of what I grew and canned from my own garden this year. (I’ve been waiting 11 years for this though so don’t get discouraged if you can’t go grow your own this spring!) I will definintely check out the book you recommended. Thanks!
Growing our own food has really encouraged our kids to love all fruits and veggies. They will try just about anything now. They love watching thing grow, and every year, I let them pick a package of seeds that’s all their own. We don’t have a lot of space (just a city lot) but we grow what we can. I have a bazillion blueberries planted in with our flower beds, and even managed to get quite a few dwarf fruit trees along the driveway. It’s actually inspired a few of my neighbors to do the same!
“I know it is overwhelming. Start small. Start with yourself. Cut out the foods that impact you negatively so that you can have the energy you need to enjoy your children. Start with the white stuff: sugar, white flour, white rice, etc. You may not even realize how these empty calories rob you of energy until you let them go. Start today.”
I appreciated your challenge to start with “yourself.” I have seen parents get gung-ho about implementing radical changes to their family’s less than ideal nutrition by telling their kids, “starting tomorrow we will eat nothing but raw!” and then freak out when their kids refuse to eat.
On another note, I also know, that for some of us even making ONE change can be more than we have the strength for in our own power. Perhaps the only place to start is prayer, asking God to change what we see that needs to be different. I KNOW personally that is the only way that any lifestyle habits that needed to have changed over the last five years or so. Left to myself I would still be eating those piles of candy and filling my body with other things I won’t even BOTHER to mention in this context! 😉
Absolutely right, Elizabeth. I have no will-power on my own! I CAN NOT buy ice cream because if it is in the house, I will eat it. Starting with prayer is always the way to go. We are weak and imperfect, even when our intentions are good. Thank you for the reminder.
I have watched Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead and was amazed by it. I have gotten stuck in Nourishing Traditions, some where along the way I lost the drive to finish reading it. I am so with you on this subject, though I find myself at the end of the spectrum of exhaustion and feeding my family what is convenient. I am really hoping to change that around. One way is to make a bunch of meals and freeze before hand for those days where I just don’t “feel” like cooking.
I really want my family to eat healthy. And it has to start with me. I am the worst-I crave the junk: chips, fries, pop, sugar…etc. Then I binge on them. I want to get my hubby on board, so that we can change our diet. I started to do the 100 days of real food back in the summer and after traveling for a week, we got derailed and never got back on it.
For those looking to get a bunch of produce at a great cost check out Bountiful Baskets. It is a co-op in parts of the states. They offer a traditional basket of produce for $15 (first timers pay a $3 fee) or a organic basket for $25. We did that a bunch this summer and it helped to have the fruit around to remind me what was more healthy to eat.
That’s a great suggestion, Beth. I need to check to see if I have Bountiful Baskets in my area. I’m sure I do, I just have never checked.
Don’t be discouraged with Nourishing Traditions. It can be overwhelming. I take it up and put it down again once I’ve gotten one thing under control. I started with fats (that was just something I was interested in) but it took me a while to really get used to cooking with coconut oil, etc. so that was all I did for a bit. Then I branched out into something else. Start small or you will want to give up.
Even though the junk food is a challenge (it is for me too) I’m sure you’ve made more healthy changes than you realize. I know you already make most of your meals at home, and that is already a huge step in the right direction. Be encouraged! Your heart is in the right place and the rest will follow as you are able.
What a great post. I loved every bit of it!! In cooking mostly from scratch…it has afforded our family the means to share many meals with others. Not only does it taste better, but it is so much better for you!!
I love that you have found that cooking from scratch has afforded you opportunities to be more giving. Amen! I have found the same thing to be true. I actually love the opportunities to sacrifice by eating simply so we can share with others. It is a more tangible way to connect with the act of giving, especially for my children who don’t understand the value of money.
I bought Alana Chernila’s Homemade Pantry a month ago, so that once I was off of work I could start making all of these items. We make our own pancake mix and 50% whole wheat bread and it is so much better. I like that my kids are learning to appreciate the full flavour of food. Although today I thought I would treat them to lunch at McDonald’s since we were out most of the morning, and they barely at anything_ they were too full from the nutritious snack I had packed them earlier! Food is so important to our kids, our selves, and it’s a struggle to get all of our families to buy into it, until they see the results in our kids when they get the bad stuff.
Oh, I will have to look at that book! Thank you! Food is a struggle, that is true. Good for you for making choices in the right direction! It’s all about balance, and even trips to McDonalds are fun (I just consider them “entertainment” and not “food” and I feel better). I took the kids to McDonald’s a few weeks ago because they have an indoor playground and it had been raining here for MONTHS. It was a fun break, but my kids were not interested in the food either (except the fries). Of course, I filled them up on fruit leather before we went in so maybe that’s why!
I wish I could be one of those people right now that can comment that I do it right, but I’m not. I am guilty of being the one who falls in that most convenient category. .. but wish I weren’t. I cannot get my youngest two (of four) to eat any vegetable at all, and I always just end up feeding them what I KNOW they will eat… just so they’ll eat. I myself need to eat so much better too. Thanks for this post. ..
I have a picky eater too. I have been blessed, though, because most of my kids will eat anything and everything. But not Paul. He struggles. I think it’s a texture thing for him. So, I only make him take one bite, which he can manage. I’m finding that his tastes are (slowly) changing. He used to HATE tomatoes, but this summer, when he could pick them from the vine himself, he found he liked them. Whew! I hope you don’t feel discouraged. Even if you just make one healthy step in the right direction, your family will benefit. Start with yourself, and let the kids’ curiosity get the better of them. Explain why you’re making the changes you before trying to get them to buy into it. Hopefully, they’ll be interested in trying some new things themselves! Thanks for reading and being real in your comment.
Over the past few years we have done really well eating and then took a turn for the worst. I have been recently diagnosed with a health condition that is forcing me to eat gluten, dairy and soy free. It isn’t new to me, but is making me think more about what I will feed my daughter. We don’t really eat fast food and I cook almost all the time. Thank you for this article and reinforcing what I already knew, but needed to hear.
I find that we go in seasons too, depending on different life circumstances. It’s especially difficult when you have real food sensitivities or health conditions that force the issue. Even by cooking at home, you are doing better than fast food. That is a great step! And your daughter is just beautiful. That’s an aside, but every time I see her picture, I gasp. She’s just got one of those faces that looks too perfect to be real!
Thanks! I love seeing pictures of your children. I see you in them…some more than others. So great that we can reconnect after all these years. Thanks for the encouraging articles…you have always been an encouragment to me.
I hear you and am 100% in support. I don’t think you’re being too harsh because this is a serious children’s rights issue. It’s downright neglectful and harmful to give children a sub-standard diet.
Food prep must become a priority for parents and cooking from scratch needs to be taught in schools so that the next generation knows what to do with basic ingredients. I believe it’s perfectly feasible to cook fast, easy, and very healthy meals in minimal time — probably not much longer than what it takes to heat up frozen processed food (not that I’d know because we don’t eat it). Another good source is Mark Bittman; he has a website and a bestselling cookbook called “How To Cook Everything” that is excellent and comprehensive.
Good for you for writing about this because it’s not easy and a lot of people don’t like to hear it.
Love Mark Bittman! That’s a great suggestion, especially for people who feel overwhelmed at the prospect of cooking. I do feel bad for people who don’t like to cook or don’t know how. I’m thankful for a mom who let me play in the kitchen and showed me the ropes. 🙂
I love this post. Love it. These same thoughts have been floating around in my head. Why fill my cart with bags of puffed chemicals, when I can buy the good stuff? It is hard to say no, and it does take time to learn and effort to teach, but it is one of the side effects of living in all this abundance… learning how to manage it well. I think your post pushes us in the right direction. Thank you.
I’m always happy to have you reading, Emily. One of my dear friends has been deeply impacted by your ministry. Thanks for encouraging me here!
Well done! I am working on this. Perhaps, we can apply Ephesians 6:4 to not exasperate our children. I really like the way you said that! I have children who will devour fruits and veggies and don’t mind them as a snack. So why do we have other options in the house that are garbage? Enough of that. I am working on adding more beans into my own daily diet to help with my diabetes and for other health reasons. I’m finding ways to eat really healthy, that I enjoy because I want to be healthy and strong again.
Blessings,
Mel
Please feel free to stop by: Trailing After God
Amen to that–I enjoy eating healthy because I enjoy FEELING healthy. I hate the sluggish, please-don’t-talk-to-me feeling I get when I eat too much sugar or other stuff. Ick. It is great to feel good!