Food.

When we moved here, right away I noticed the differences. The cereal aisle was not a never-ending brighter-than-the-sun place with eleven billion choices. The options really are endless in the US: choco flavoured, strawberry filled, cinnamon toasted, mini bites, now with more marshmallows, chocolate covered. Promises of  more fibre! new and improved! crunchier oats! And almost 2 years ago as I perused the unfamiliar aisles of the Safeway and Coles, I was in shock of the limited choices of cereal. They only lined 1 side of the aisle, and it wasn’t nearly as long. For some reason this really stuck with me – this difference really said something about these 2 cultures.

The way not only people, but kids eat is so different here. I was amazed to see 18 month olds eating sushi. Moms feeding their babies fresh pumpkin or avocado, not out of a jar like I did with my boys.

My views have shifted over these 2 years and I have never eaten so healthy in my life. I haven’t had high fructose corn syrup or partially hydrogenated oil since living here – they just don’t exist. I eat fruit and veg that is grown locally and that is bought at the market, not at the grocery store. I have realized though that I still fed my kids the “American” way. Easy to pack snacks, frozen chicken nuggets, crackers on the go and pizza twice a week. As I looked around at the other kids, they weren’t eating this way. They didn’t carry snack packs with them, their moms had cut up fruit or veggies. At first I just thought it was weird. But now I have realized that it is better! So I am off on a mission to cut out the crackers and crap that my kids eat and get them on a healthier diet. (Even the “crappy snacks” here aren’t nearly as bad though since there is no high fructose corn syrup or hydrogenated oils)

Jake’s diet is typical for a toddler – lots of carbs, won’t try anything new, very limited fruit and no vegetables unless you count french fries. So I took him to see a child nutritionist. I wanted a “professional” opinion as to what his diet should consist of. In preparation for this appointment she requested I keep a diary of what he eats for 3 days, which really was eye-opening. To see all the snacks he has throughout the day written out in black and white really put into perspective what was going into his body.

I had a good idea of what she was going to say, I just needed to hear it from someone of authority.  In a nutshell, she told me to get rid of the snacks and junk. If it’s not in the house it’s not an option – he can’t hop in the car himself and go buy cookies. She suggested we eat as a family as much as possible, or at least sit with him at the table while he eats. She said I should make one dinner and that is it – not make three like I currently do. The beginning will be rough, but eventually he will get with the program and see that his options have changed. So far he has changed a tiny bit – he isn’t crying for the crackers and snacks like before and he has incorporated carrot sticks as a snack. I even had to stop typing this a few minutes ago to get him a cut up apple – something he has never asked for on his own .

I want my kids to have a good balance – of course they can have sweets – but I want the bulk of their foods to be stuff that’s good for them. And I don’t think there is anything wrong with that. The challenge will be continuing this when we go back to the States – finding healthy options and not just resorting to the convenience of the “100 calorie packs” or the drive-thru.