Can Organic Foods Lead to Less Childhood Obesity?

There’s no mistaking the fact that children are becoming more obese and at an earlier age than ever in the past. This alarming fact is cause for concern as children who are overweight in their early or late childhood and teens are more likely to become obese adults, and obese adults have a higher risk of stroke, type 2 diabetes, cancer, heart disease, and other health disadvantages. But what can you do if your child is one of the overweight children? Instead of worrying that he or she is just another sad statistic, realize that you can step in and help.

As a mother or father of a youngster, you have a lot of pull when it comes to what children eat in your house. First off, stop buying processed foods and start buying organic. Switching over to organic foods is the single best thing you can do, food wise, to help your child reach optimal weight for his or her height.

Organic fruits and vegetables should be the bulk of what your children consume, but the sad reality is that many children don’t ever even see fresh produce in their homes. They are handed Pop Tarts or candy bars from a harried parent who doesn’t have the time, or sometimes the money, to shop for healthier snacks.

The closer a food is to its natural state, the better it is for you and your children to eat. Leafy vegetables fresh out of the ground and fruits just ripe from picking are best. If you can’t get to the store as often as you like for these fresh items, frozen is the next best thing. Organic frozen vegetables will have nothing added to them. They are flash frozen right after picking, so they are a close second to fresh.

If canned food is your only option, go for organic fruits and vegetables that are packed in water and not heavy oils or syrups. The value of eating fruit salad is negated when it’s soaking in heavy syrup. It may seem near invisible to the eye, but these syrup-soaked fruits add major calories to a child’s daily intake.

School lunches can be another problem. If the school system your child is in does not offer a healthy lunch alternative to greasy chicken nuggets and pizza, make your child’s lunch with healthy items from home. If you’re a busy mom or dad and can’t imagine getting up any earlier than you already do, make the lunch the night before. You’ll be glad you did when you just have to open the refrigerator and hand your child a well-stocked lunch box.

Organic fruits and vegetables aren’t the only organic foods that your child should be eating. Organic, hormone free lean meats are also a good idea. Fill your freezer with free range chicken or grass-fed, hormone free beef. Cook up a batch on Sunday night and feast on it for the next few days in different ways.

Processed anything is really not good for you. The more that’s added to a food, the worse it is on your system and the harder it is to rid your body of. If your body has to digest a list of unpronounceable ingredients, it’s going to have to work harder, not more efficiently. Instead, go for single ingredient organic foods.

Lead by example. If you are snacking on smart, healthy foods your child will want to as well. Don’t keep Oreos (which are delicious, but contain a shortening center) in the house at all, especially if your child has a sweet tooth. Start replacing sodas with organic juices that you buy fresh or squeeze yourself. Buy a crate of oranges and a juicer and you’ll always have a healthy drink on hand. Instead of bringing out the ice cream and chocolaty toppings, whip up some wholesome organic smoothies for the kids.

Watch what your kids are eating, but also ensure that they are eating at the right times. Breakfast is a must. If children skip breakfast, they are more likely to lose their concentration and do poorly in school. A healthy organic breakfast of eggs and organic whole wheat bread is a good start to the day. A puff pastry out of a box is not as good a choice.

So yes, everyone is busy. And yes, ordering Chinese or pizza may seem convenient. But think about this…it’s not helping anyone’s waistline, it’s not giving you the nutrition your body needs, and it’s not helping the environment.  Everyone can do a little more to ensure the nation’s children are growing up healthy, lean and active. A more obese youngster may be less likely to exercise and will no doubt be made fun of at some point by unthinking peers. Save your child the agony of being overweight and start her or him on a course to right eating today. It will be an investment in their future that they will thank you for some day.