I have been very particular about ensuring no junk food is offered to AJ at home or outside. We all know that they are addictive, and their side effects are not very pleasant. Not to mention the sheer amount of carbon footprint we leave behind on consuming them. So this is a non-negotiable rule.
Often when we take AJ out with her play group there is always a conflict on whether we should allow her to indulge with the other kids or stick to one of our non-negotiable ground rules – ‘No Junk Food’. When we were trying to process our thoughts on this, we were reminded of two stories.
The first one is when for the first time we had encountered children eating processed and packed food in one of AJ’s play groups. When the other children were eating those, AJ reached out for them too. I explained to her why she couldn’t eat those and how she had a choice between the boiled peanuts or a warm glass of milk which the host graciously offered when I expressed my discomfort. AJ was a little under two and a half years old and she seemed to have understood that she should not be eating processed food and chose to eat the peanuts along with a warm glass of milk without sugar. (Although we are still very particular about the ‘no sugar’ rule, AJ now prefers jaggery as a sweetener in her milk.)
I grew up in a conservative and traditional environment where drinking alcohol, even socially was something we did not do. I have heard stories of the adults in my life going to parties or occasions where alcohol was being served but have been true to their values to politely refused to indulge. When I started my first corporate job, I did realise that a lot of them who did drink or smoke, did it to ‘blend in’ to the corporate culture and that this had started much earlier at high school or college levels in the form of peer pressure. Only then did I realise I had never felt the need to fit in especially if it was something that did not align with my values.
Sometimes, I do wonder if it had anything to do with the stories I heard growing up. If yes, then we are demonstrating to AJ that it is ok to have certain values and ground rules that are non-negotiable and that it is ok to stand out in a crowd that believes otherwise.
Does this mean that all the people I am associated with have the similar thought process? No! But all of us respect each other’s choices be it lifestyle or parenting and that my dear readers is the foundation of every strong relationship. I have been blessed and lucky to have friends who respect my choices even though theirs are different. And those of us who have children have made efforts to ensure our children play together!
There is though, a confession I need to make. There are occasional events where AJ does eat a croissant or (marigold) biscuits with her grandparents. We have however kept this to a bare minimum and hopefully will be able to wean her off of it eventually.
Here is how we kept AJ away from processed and packaged foods so far:
AJ’s Dad and I made a conscious decision to never introduce it in the first place. It also helped that we had consciously changed our lifestyle long before AJ came along.
We got the other family members who would be spending time with her on board with not including sugar, maida, packaged food, processed food, refined oil and the like in her diet. This was a bumpy road to start off with, but patience and consistency have truly paid off!
We eventually started talking to AJ about what kind of food could potentially hurt her in simple words so she can understand. (She is allergic to some of the food ingredients mostly used in processed foods).
Although we have introduced her to outside food, we have been conscious about ensuring we go to places that serve food similar to the cuisine made at home.
We have been vocal about not introducing any of the above-mentioned foods to AJ to anyone who has tried to do so.
Have more questions on how to avoid or wean children off unhealthy food habits? Do reach out to us!
P.S.: AJ’s Dad and I do occasionally indulge in desserts after she goes to bed 🙈.
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