And other acts of defying the new american diet for our children.
As a vegan parent, I was torn when I put my children into daycare for the first time. At home, our cabinets and fridge are completely vegan. From the fruit basket to the produce drawers to the semi-sweet chocolate chips, it is (to the best of our ability- I just learned about D3 in cheerios) a vegan kitchen.
I was torn, because my children would now be surrounded by other children who eat meat, drink yoohoo and are allowed to have lollipops. Our incredible daycare provider prepares two meals and a snack each day, and provides a slip of paper at each pickup documenting what was eaten. Cantaloupe, peas, green beans, apples, pasta, PB and jelly, and sometimes, fish sticks or chicken nuggets.
As a vegan adult, I have made a decision based on my knowledge and desire to obtain more knowledge, of the food industry. As a vegan parent, I had chosen to breastfeed as well as avoid jars of store bought baby food and prepare steamed and mushed veggies in my kitchen. I am now torn, with what I am deeming to be the ‘chicken nugget syndrome’.
The chicken nugget is prolific in many a childhood. The excitement of the happy meal, the brilliant emotional marketing by McDonald’s to offer a meal and a smile. And a toy. And a hand-held, fried piece of protein.
Until we find out that this protein is really only the extras from butchered chickens, ground up with chicken fat, textured wheat protein and bread crumbs. Fried. Packaged. Served with a smile and a toy. For 99 cents. Or microwaved, plucked from a frozen box.
All the other children are eating it. All healthy and wonderful children, with great parents. My house is different, though. And reading chicken nuggets on the paper makes me cringe.
We buy soy nuggets every now and then as a ‘treat’. Is it really a treat, though? Just because it resembles what other children are eating, and I know it’s not a nutritious item on their plate. I’ve had boxed vegan frozen waffles in the house for breakfast- something I know is not the best way to start a day. Up until this morning, I have offered a waffle or a bowl of cheerios or packaged oatmeal to complement their daily fruit to my children in the morning because of the convenience and assumed nutritional value.
I know they are laden with sugar and fillers. So, it’s really just the convenience.
Last night, my husband and I talked about a change. A change in the way we impart how our children see food. I choose to see my food as fuel for my body. I do enjoy it immensely, I enjoy the gathering around the table to eat together, with friends or family, and together, enjoy the taste of fresh, clean, delicious food. But I still know that we need to eat rather than just consume. Why are we altering what we know and believe about food on our children’s plates?
We had succumbed to the chicken nugget syndrome, in hopes of our children ‘fitting in’. Without realizing.
We decided last night that we are avoiding the boxed and packaged goods for a solid week. Everything we prepare will be from scratch. No boxed waffles, no boxed cereal, no nuggets, no chips. We don’t eat them everyday, yet we will avoid them at all cost next week.
This morning’s breakfast was perfect~ heaping sliced fruit (honeydew, bananas and kiwi), a fruit smoothie from flash frozen mango and strawberries, and oatmeal that takes 5-7 minutes cooked on the stove with a touch of hemp milk and cinnamon stirred in. Devoured and nutritious.
I am still torn, as my children eat fish sticks at daycare. Would I serve them? No. I also wouldn’t eat them. I share with my children why our family is vegan, they know where milk comes from, they know where meat comes from, and at 4 years old, our oldest can say he prefers almond milk over cow’s milk. But do I carry that into daycare and give him and his little sister their own separate lunch everyday, or do I allow them to do what everyone else is doing?
I know in my heart what I want to do. It’s the chicken nugget syndrome that prevents me from acting. And I know firsthand, that as a vegan and a conscious eater, that what I’m allowing right nowis contradictory to my very strong beliefs.
Our week of consciously defying the chicken nugget syndrome begins Monday April 11th with breakfast. It’s time to defy choices that have no rhyme or reason and to defeat the traditional convenience. With planning and thought, the chicken nugget syndrome can and will be defeated. One family at a time.
That’s why if I can choose from chicken nuggets and taco at school I choose taco even though I hate salsa but I try not to eat foods that will turn me from a tall petite girl to a tall big girl.
Hannah, have you seen the Jamie Oliver television show? It is all about changing the way students eat at school, and how we can make a big difference in the nutrition of our cafeterias. If you are interested in making more vegan food choices, try bringing your lunch to school a couple of days a week! Thanks for posting!