homeschool & paleo

healthym0m0f2

I'm a homeschooling mom of two boys ages almost 4 and 7. They will be in prek and 1st grade this year. Last year as part of our health class we learned the "normal" food pyramid.

Since my health issues the past year and changing my diet to paleo almost two weeks ago, I am slowly changing the way my whole family eats as well. I do not cook anything different for anyone else accept at dinner I add a non processed grain like rice, quinoa, potatoes ect. I didn't want to go cold turkey for the whole family. I wanted to adjust to the life style first. My children eat basically the same thing I do most days. They still eat peanut butter, bread once in a while, cheese and greek yogurt along with the grain at dinner times. They actually prefer not to though so I know the adjustment won't be too terrible.

Basically I was wondering if anyone can point me in the right direction as far as teaching younger children about the paleo food pyramid and everything else that comes with paleo/primal lifestyle. I'm probably going to keep the cheese and greek yogurt around for the kids but we have always used almond/ coconut milk since they weaned. I want to create a mini unit teaching them and my self as well the healthier way of life.

Akimajuktuq

I think the best teaching is by example. I'm not teaching my child about any food "pyramid" only what are healthy foods and what aren't. I outlawed wheat from our house two years ago. I don't need it and she doesn't need it. I would like to have more control over what others give her, but I do the best I can. It's always amusing to see people feed her junk and then when her behaviour gets totally out of control they scratch their heads and ask me why she is like that. I tell them it's the food and I don't feed her those things at home and she behaves better. I can see the disconnect in their eyes. "How can food affect health/behaviour" they seem to be wondering.

If you want to keep dairy try to get raw and unpasteurized products. There is no health benefit to highly processed stuff. None. Yup, I love cheese too but it does nothing beneficial for me (I can only access processed junk). Forget the calcium argument. (Have you tried making your own yogurt or kefir? Very easy.) When one doesn't eat grains and eats lots of greens, calcium is not issue. Besides, it's questionable how much is even absorbed from dairy. Also, read the ingredients on the almond milk, and other milk substitutes. I don't use commercial almond milk anymore. She does have a bit of oat milk here and there as a treat but it's basically sugar, even though sugar isn't "added". I don't think milk substitutes should be a staple in the diet. I like coconut milk best of all of them but only use it occasionally.

dmsl977

I might be wrong, but I think Mark Sisson has a primal pyramid on mark'sdailyapple.com. Good luck in teaching them young. My 16 year old has not been as easy to reteach about his diet. lol

SteamClutch

I would get them in the kitchen with me as early as possible, I had to cook for my family starting when I was 11 due to my mom working the night shift. My sister taught me how to cook and I never unlearned it and our kids were all home-schooled and all cook very well as adults, too bad they do not get my Primal lifestyle but eventually they will.

Akimajuktuq

I would get them in the kitchen with me as early as possible, I had to cook for my family starting when I was 11 due to my mom working the night shift. My sister taught me how to cook and I never unlearned it and our kids were all home-schooled and all cook very well as adults, too bad they do not get my Primal lifestyle but eventually they will.

I forgot about this! So important. My grandma cooked everything; my mother cooked nothing (she knew how but chose to make meals out of boxes); I learned to cook nothing. My child has shown very high interest in food prep/cooking and for awhile I was pushing her away because of being faster, not wanting a mess - you know, the usual stupid excuses. I consciously decided to stop doing that (still working on it) and now she cooks with me most of the time. Amazingly, even though she is only 6 she has never cut herself while cutting food; me on the other hand, ALWAYS.

Even if one's teenaged kids don't get on board with this lifestyle, they are miles ahead of other people because they will know exactly what to do when they start getting sick/fat when they are older- if they choose to do something about it that is. Setting the example works for all kids, but with teens it just might take them longer to come to the realization that maybe mom/dad were right.

carrieann8

Teach the controversy! Show them the FDA period and compare that with how you eat. Show them Mark Sisson's and compare that to how you eat. Teach them that people are different and everyone eats differently. If anyone is intolerant of a certain food, that is a great starting point. "What about cousin Carrie who can't have milk?"

healthym0m0f2

Thanks so much everyone! I will definitely start letting them cook with me. I'm very OCD so that has been a big struggle for me. I will just start earlier so that we have time to prepare and cook everything. I didn't know how to cook going into my marriage so we spent almost half of our marriage eating from boxes. Luckily in 2009 after I couldn't lose my baby weight I decided to learn how to cook real food and haven't stopped since.