Teaching Your Kids to Eat and Grow Organic Foods

Teaching Your Kids to Eat and Grow Organic Foods

Children are like miraculous sponges. They love to learn and the quicker that you teach them things, the longer it will stay with them; sometimes, well into their adult years.

So, when it comes to teaching your kids how to eat and grow organic foods, this essentially means that you’re instructing them on how to be proactive about their health as well as being sensitive about the needs of the environment. That’s definitely a set of tools that they can add to their lives that will pay off for years to come.

Why You Should Teach Your Kids to Eat Organically

There are many reasons why organic is best. Organically grown food is free of a lot of the pesticides, preservatives and other chemicals that are used with conventionally-grown foods. It’s not genetically modified. When it comes to organic meats, there aren’t synthetic drugs and other hormones that are oftentimes found in the traditional store bought brands. Because the soil is well-replenished, organic produce has been proven to be packed with more nutrients. And, if you ask a lot of people why it’s ultimately their first pick, it’s because all of these things combined result in organic foods tasting better.

How to Get Your Child to Eat Organically

If you start them on this diet from the very beginning, this really won’t be a hard sell. Therefore, the sooner you get them accustomed to an organic eating lifestyle, the easier for them it will be. But, if you have recently discovered for yourself the many benefits that come with going organic and your children are older, there are a couple of creative approaches that you can take to get them adjusted to the transition. Why not hold a taste test contest? Serve up some raw fruits and vegetables: one bowl filled with conventional foods and the other with the organic kind. Blindfold them and then ask them which one tastes the best. Another option is to have a cooking contest where everyone in the family has to cook one dish from an organic recipe. Have everyone write down their grocery list and take your kids shopping with you while you pick up the foods for the various meals. This will get them acclimated to not just seeing organic foods, but understanding how to make the best selections. Give a prize for the best dish and in no time, you’ll have your kids suggesting to you some organic meals that they’d like to try (or try again).

Gardens Are a Great Organic Family Activity

There’s a wonderful way to get in some quality family time while instructing your children on how to grow organic foods and that is to grow a garden. You can start out by having everyone pick a fruit or vegetable that they would like to grow. Then, you can either build one from scratch in your backyard or you even grow some in containers from the comfort of the inside of your home. TLC’s HowStuffWorks.com section has an article on how to grow up to 66 different foods in your house; everything ranging from apples and cherries to tomatoes, peppers and summer squash. If you would like to take on the great outdoors and you’re new to the food gardening experience, YouTube.com has a lot of videos that can walk you through all of the steps that you need. Just put “Grow a Garden” in the search field.

As you’re getting your children used to the organic way of life, remember that education is best for children when it’s fun. So, as you’re teaching about organic food, make sure, most of all, to make it a light and tasty (pun intended) experience. That will make them want to repeat it and that’s the most effective way that anyone can learn.