Nom Nom Paleo: Food for Humans (28 page)

Alas, we declared our Great Meat & Vegetable Experiment a failure.

But we didn’t give up. We continued to put real, whole foods on Ollie’s plate. And slowly but surely, his once-narrow palate began to broaden. Our little guy is still no fan of my more exotic concoctions, but he now chows down on meat and fish, and no longer recoils at the sight of broccoli or asparagus.

The key, we discovered, was simple: model the food behaviors we want to see, and be persistent.

With no junk food in the house, the kids eventually got the message that no amount of rifling through our pantry was going to magically conjure up boxes of cookies or candy bars. We held firm when they flashed their puppy-dog eyes and begged for treats. And when supper was served, my boys knew not to demand their own separate “kid-friendly” meals of pizza bagels or processed chicken tenders like the ones seen on TV.

We eat what I make, and that’s that. Yes, it would be easier to give in, but real food is non-negotiable in our house. It took some doing, but both of our kids are now aboard the Paleo train. I estimate that over
80
percent of their meals consist of whole, nutrient-dense foods. I know this because Henry and I prepare the vast majority of their breakfasts, lunches, and dinners.

Does that mean our children are perfectly Paleo? Nope. To really take hold, Paleo eating can’t be forced. We’ve done our best to be good role models, explaining to our boys why they should stick with whole, nutrient-dense foods, and trusting them to make their own food choices when they’re not at home. But that means they sometimes choose to eat stuff that’s less than healthy. And we’re okay with that. (Fortunately, our kids don’t have any allergies or intolerances that make veering off Paleo more of an issue.)

So these days, when the kids are at school functions or playdates, we let them make their own food choices. Owen and Ollie are free to grab cupcakes at their pals’ birthday parties (though Owen chooses to abstain more often than not). Henry and I don’t force them to sit out the pizza parties at school, and we don’t freak out (much) when grandma visits and sneaks each of them a breakfast pastry. But these are the exceptions rather than the rule.

And between you and me, I think that we’ve got ’em brainwashed already: one of Ollie’s teachers recently told us that he’s been telling the other kids at school that candy’s not healthy.

I beamed with pride.
 

Nothing’s easier than chucking pre-packaged trays of factory-made lunches into backpacks as we rush our children out the door
...
but I’m guessing none of us are eager to sacrifice our kids’ health for the sake of convenience.

Of course, convenience still matters. Not many of us can devote hours each day to crafting five-star meals to cram into superhero lunch boxes. What we need are school lunches that are both easy
and
healthy.

Here are some lunch-packing tips that we’ve found particularly effective:

• Give your offspring a say in what goes into their lunchboxes. Even if you’ve packed the most delicious and nutritious meal possible for your kiddos, it’ll all be for naught if it ends up in the garbage or traded away for a bag of chips and a can of soda. Encourage them to choose their own lunch items from your Paleo-friendly pantry and fridge. This way, the food you pack will actually stand a chance of being eaten.
  
• Some kids like variety, others like the same thing every day. But no matter what, the lunch you pack should contain some animal protein, vegetables, healthy fats, and fruit. Oh, and an occasional piece of dark chocolate makes for a nice treat, too.
  
• Invest in a few insulated containers and pack hot leftovers for your children. Owen’s favorite lunches include leftover roast chicken and sautéed mushrooms sandwiched between slices of last night’s steak.
  
• Sometimes, convenience foods aren’t such a bad thing. Search out high-quality deli meat, mini sausages, dried fruit snacks, and jarred marinara sauce to throw together tasty lunches. Even better: use some of the building block recipes in this book to jazz up the noonday meal. Packing a small container of
  Paleo Ranch Dressing
  is a surefire way to entice your little ones into finishing their vegetables.
  

Packing delicious lunch boxes with nourishing food that’ll fuel your children’s bodies and brains isn’t rocket science. It may sound like a tall order, but just think of your young ’uns as miniature versions of you. Don’t pack anything in their lunch boxes that you wouldn’t happily eat.
 

D
igging these stainless steel food containers? Get them at
lunchbots.com
!  

TOMATO + BASIL SALAD

Makes
4
servings | Hands-on time:
10
minutes | Total time:
20
minutes