My kids have always eaten a mostly organic 100% gluten free diet, with a varying low to moderate amount of gluten free processed foods such as snack bars, pretzels, macaroni and cheese, and other "kid food" items. With autoimmune disease in our family I've been pretty obsessed with feeding them a healthy diet, focusing on their gut health with probiotic foods and going the natural route on everything I can.
I've been very careful to avoid soy, non organic corn and other GMO foods. We limit canned foods or choose companies who do not use BPA. I try to make my own pancakes and bread products when possible and I'm always sneaking superfoods into their meals without them knowing.
But in the last year or so my capacity to keep up with cooking a healthy diet has been much lower, and the amount of processed items, non organic dairy, and other not so nutritious foods has significantly increased in their diet. During the first four months of my pregnancy with Mathew I lived on english muffins with sliced tomatoes and my kids ate pancakes, yogurt, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and whatever Ryan was able to make them when he finished with work. Luckily he was still working at home during those months or I am not sure we would have all survived!
It wasn't long after I started feeling better that I found out I had gestational diabetes. Following the required diet meant most of my kitchen time was spent making food for myself so that I could manage the condition and protect my baby. So the kids continued to eat a lot of easy processed items. The microwave (which had been out in the garage rarely used) moved back into the kitchen and became my best friend. I told myself I would focus on keeping myself and the baby healthy, and once he arrived I would get the kids back on track. But life happened again.
Mathew arrived in the middle of august, two weeks before Lucas was to start our first homeschool year as a kindergartener. At three weeks old, the colic started. And I officially lost control of everything. I'm not sure how I managed to feed, bathe and clothe my kids (and myself for that matter) during those first few months. But we all survived.
Now it's six months later and the colic is over. Mathew is still high maintenance but is happy as long as he is hanging out on my hip. We've found a routine with school. I'm getting a few minutes to cook during the day and I'm ready to get us all back on track.
So, without shocking the badonkies out of the boys, I'm going to phase out the junky foods and replace them with whole (real) foods.
My plan is to replace most of the grain filled products they have been eating with paleo versions - pancakes, waffles, bread, etc. But I will still allow them to occasionally eat brown rice pasta and fermented or sprouted gluten free grains that I prepare myself. My primary goal is for them to make the switch to whole foods, and since they do not have the food sensitivities that I do, I don't feel that they need to be 100 percent paleo at this time. As far as dairy products go, I will eliminate the processed yogurt and string cheese, and allow grass fed dairy or goat/sheep milk cheese and yogurt. Here's the run down. :)
Yes Foods:
Organic and/or grass fed or pastured beef, pork, and poultry
Wild caught seafood, shrimp, canned tuna
Grass fed yogurt and cheese (occasionally)
Goat or sheep milk yogurt and cheese (occasionally)
All Fruits and Veggies
Nuts and Seeds
Gluten free whole grains (if sprouted or fermented)
Organic Pastured eggs
Brown rice pasta (occasionally)
Organic popcorn (occasionally)
Sea Vegetables
Cultured Veggies
Natural sweeteners like honey and maple syrup
Coconut oil, ghee, grass fed butter, pure olive oil
No Foods:
Anything processed or packaged that has more than a couple ingredients or contains any unhealthy oils, added sugar, stabilizers, or preservatives of any kind.
Up next... my autoimmune protocol!
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