Bad Words you want to teach your kids


5 Tips on how to help your kids recognize & remember the “BAD WORDS” in the foods they eat!
BAD WORDS!!! Why would I want to teach my child bad words? These bad words are used in the food industry and are more than likely in your child’s favorite foods. As a parent of 3 kids 13, 11, & 9 I have been trying to instill healthy habits, but I was also always in charge. Now, as they are growing and getting older, I want them to start taking responsibility for the foods they choose and what they decide to put into their body. Their beautiful, perfect little bodies. Now they are at an age where they are being influenced by outsiders such as friends and coaches and you tube (eye roll). They are no longer by my side 24 hours a day. In order to help them take responsibility or at least be aware of what they are eating I developed a simple and fun way for them to remember how to make good choices!
Here are 5 “BAD WORDS” that I have introduced to my kids to help them make healthier choices.
TIP #1 - IF YOU CAN’T PRONOUNCE IT - BOUNCE IT.
There are so many ingredients that are bad for you that this would be the longest article ever. This tip is a good starting point to help your kids start to read the ingredients on their favorite foods. Once they start to notice the label then you can start talking about the ingredients they should look for. For now, unfortunately it’s easier to find the “bad words”.
TIP #2 - If it ends in ‘OSE’ - IT’S GROSS
For example - High FRUCTOSE Corn Syrup many people already know that this is the worst man made sugar out there. That’s why even the marketers are putting NO HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP front and center on their products BUT don’t forget about…
MALTOSE
DEXTROSE
SUCRALOSE
SUCROSE
GLUCOSE
Even LACTOSE
- which is a milk sugar & there are many many many more.
This one will be a real eye opener for your kids and likely hard to avoid. Especially in their favorite junk foods & even in the “healthy” ones. But keep reminding them ‘OSE’ IS GROSS. Because KNOWLEDGE IS POWER and the more they start to NOTICE I guarantee the choices they make for themselves will start to change.
TIP #3 - ALL COLORS- ESPECIALLY RED, YELLOW & BLUE - NO CAN DO
These Food Dyes are chemical substances and they are TOXIC. Now they obviously are marketing to our little ones. They love this because they most certainly eat with their eyes. These dyes give food a bright fun to eat appearance. One thing I know about kids is they DO NOT LIKE TO BE LIED TO! So let them know. This is a magic trick gone bad. Any foods with these ingredients are bad for them.
TIP #4 - BHA, BHT, BPA, MSG, TBHQ - ABBREVIATIONS - NO PATIENCE
Don’t let the abbreviations fool you into thinking these are words you can actually pronounce. BHA is Butylated Hydroxyanisole, BHT Butylated Hydroxytoluene, BPA Bisphenol A, MSG Monosodium Glutamate, TBHQ Tert-butylhydroquinone…Or in other words…
CHEMICALS CHEMICALS CHEMICALS. They are preservatives that are intentionally added to processed foods and some of these abbreviated chemicals are chemicals found in the packaging of products.
For a more comprehensive list please check out EWG’s Dirty Dozen Guide to Food Chemicals @ ewg.org to show you which chemicals to avoid in food by highlighting some of the worst offenders on the market.
TIP #5 - I SAVED THE BEST FOR THE LAST - SEED OIL - FOILED
Seed oils are known to be unhealthy promoting inflammation and a build up of toxins in body fat. Here are some of the seed oils I avoid..
Vegetable oil, Canola Oil, Corn oil, Sunflower Oil, Safflower Oil, & Grapeseed Oil.
These oils have been associated with various chronic health conditions. So as a bonus here I will tell you what oils I use and are a staple in my pantry.
Good oils: Olive Oil, Coconut Oil, & Avocado Oil are all safe to use, easy to find and DELICIOUS.
The rule of thumb in my house is: If a package of food has more than five ingredients listed then it is probably bad for you, especially if they have the BAD WORDS.