During my annual visit to my hometown this year, I had the opportunity to spend time with a friend from college. Mary Beth (my friend) is from the Boston area as well, however, she currently resides in Vermont. We spent two days chatting while our children enjoyed and explored the rocky New England beach. Her children were adorable, and just like any other 1, 4 or 7 year old except for one very notable difference – their eating habits!

Mary Beth’s children devoured fresh organic fruits and vegetables. They ate homemade potato salad; homemade chicken salad; artichoke and spinach dip; and vegetables and cheese on whole wheat wraps.  These salads and dips were loaded with diced vegetables and spices.  There were no fingers picking out the “green things” and no whining or complaining. These foods were thoroughly enjoyed by all of them.

One may watch these kids eat all of these healthy foods, and say to Mary Beth “wow, your kids are great eaters, you are so lucky!”

I assure you that luck has nothing to do with what a child eats.

Children all over the world grow up eating different types of foods.  There are Asian children, Italian children, and Greek children among many others, who are brought up eating their culture’s traditional cuisine. Food is a symbol of culture. What a child eats or does not eat is a direct reflection of what that child is fed growing up. You never see a young child food shopping, cooking dinner, or driving to a restaurant. Children do not grow up preferring ketchup, salt or sugars smothering their foods, they are exposed to these tastes, and habits by their parents. Unfortunately, when it comes to our picky little eaters, we have no one to blame but ourselves.

So how are we to avoid children who refuse to eat their fruits, vegetables and whole grains? Well, that actually is quite simple, we have to make sure we feed our kids fruits, vegetables and whole grains from very early on in life!  At the same time, we must keep the high sugar, high salt, and high fat, processed foods out of the house, and their lunch boxes. We must also understand that snacking on goldfish, pretzels, cookies, and peanut butter crackers is not a necessary rite of passage for children.  In fact, snacking in general, especially on processed snacks, can very well sabotage your efforts for healthy eating at the dinner table.  A hungry child is more open to new foods and tastes. Over time children develop a palate for certain foods.  That preference for taste is molded by our choices for them starting at a very early age.

For those of us who fell into the trap of thinking that young children require a limited menu consisting of pizza, French fries, snacks, juice, sweets, chicken nuggets and Kraft Macaroni  & Cheese, have no fear.  A palate can change. Admittedly, it is much more difficult to change the preferences for taste of an older child, or adolescent. However, with perseverance and commitment, it can be done.  Most importantly, for the sake of your child’s health and future, it MUST be done.

Make no mistake, food and an unhealthy lifestyle kills more people than guns, AIDS or war, and it is imperative that this fact is understood.

So replace those processed snacks with fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and nuts. Drink water, not soda or sports drinks. Cook for your family as much as possible, and eat together at the dinner table.  Cook real whole foods, not premade and processed food products. Explain to your children that eating healthy foods will make them stronger and smarter, which will translate into better grades and better performance in sports.  More importantly, real whole foods will protect them from illness, injury, and disease.

In my opinion, teaching our children about eating well, and properly caring for their bodies, in a way that prevents illness, disease and injury, is our most important legacy as parents. Healthy habits, behaviors, and lifestyles will be passed on from one generation to the next. Conversely, unhealthy habits and behaviors are the single greatest predictors of disease, and play a much larger role than genetics, when it comes to obesity, cardiovascular disease, cancer, and type 2 diabetes.

Are you happy with your family’s current food culture?  Are you living a lifestyle that will arm your children with the knowledge and education necessary to live a long, and healthy life? It is never too late to start!