photo by Nicole Bennett
At a time when living a more natural lifestyle wasn’t en vogue--even just one generation ago-- people were raising their children in a way that was healthier and more environmentally friendly without even knowing it.
In our world of convenience, it’s hard to imagine raising kids who rarely experience fast food. But it’s still possible, even today.
All it takes are some tried and true ways to “green” how our family eats. Eating doesn’t have to be another fast-paced item to check off our to-do list. In fact, involving our kids in the process of purchasing and preparing our food in a more natural, even old-fashioned, way will prepare them to go out into the world, able to fend for themselves in a more healthy manner.
A primary goal for any mother hoping to raise children in a greener way should be for them to grow up appreciating home-cooked meals and understanding a little bit about where our food comes from, instead of assuming everything we eats comes in a wrapper or a package.
There are many ways to cultivate this attitude and philosophy in our children. The first, of course, is to value a slower food culture ourselves, but beyond that, we can easily start educating our kids to value quality when it comes to what we eat. Here are a few more ideas on how to slow down and educate our kids in the process.
Ask for their input. Show your children a few recipes and let them help choose what to make for dinner.
Get them involved in the kitchen. Let your kids help out as you cook so they can learn about the process. It might take longer, but the message it sends your kids will be worth it. Teach them how to read and cook from a recipe as they get older- it’s an invaluable skill that will take them far.
Get food from the source- or close. Take the kids with you to the farmer’s market or better yet, to a you-pick farm. Subscribe to a CSA (community supported agriculture) for seasonal and local produce. As San Diegans we are lucky to live in an area where we can get so much variety in seasonal produce throughout the year-- let's take advantage of it!
For more info: find a farmer's market or CSA in your community by visiting localharvest.org.
Comments
The benefits of slow food are physical, emotional, and spiritual. It benefits families, farmers, our local community, the environment, and the world at large. Buying local, seasonal and organic creates a better life for everyone. Loved this article.
There's a farmer's market every Wednesday afternoon at Cal State San Marcos!!
Home cooking is a great thing to teach your children, it is usually cheaper and you can make good nutritional decisions. I'm glad you are promoting it!
Love this! Slow food takes years to appreciate. Teaching our kiddos now surely will benefit them for the future.
In Phoenix we have a produce coop Bountiful Baskets www.bountifulbaskets.org that offers conventional and organic produce. The kids and I love to volunteer to assemble the baskets and share with those dropping by for pickup.
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