You may be asking, where do treats fit in? When it comes to nutrition, I believe that balance and moderation are really important words! Truth be told, I’ve seen almost every single ‘diet’ fail for this reason. How sustainable, or enjoyable, is it to deprive yourself of every single decadent food forever? It’s pretty unrealistic and sets people up for failure. The moment you have one of these ‘forbidden’ foods you feel like you have failed. The diet industry is largely a flawed system that doesn’t set people up for long-term success.
For that reason, I believe in the 80:20 rule. Essentially what this means is that 80-90% of the time, aim to eat as healthy as possible, leaving room for enjoying things like a slice of birthday cake or a glass of wine if you feel like it on occasion. Guilt-free, might I add!
How we talk about food matters. It matters to our own well-being and inner dialogue, but it also makes a difference in how we shape the perceptions and attitudes of our children. Fostering a healthy relationship with food is critical, at any age.
Instead of labelling foods “good” or “bad”, I prefer to refer to food as “sometimes foods” and “everyday foods”. The terms likely require little explanation and offer a healthier way of looking at foods: all foods can fit.
Foods that are pleasurable but less nutritious fall under the “sometimes food” category, and as the term implies, are to be enjoyed….sometimes! That’s ok! A cupcake at a birthday party or a few candies at Halloween can fit in. I encourage you to work with your children to give them the tools to make good food decisions independently by involving them in the decision-making. After all, they won’t always have you looking over their shoulder making the call for them!
This meal plan was designed to be both nutritious and delicious, meaning that it’s balanced and filled with meals that you can feel good about eating. Many of the ingredients can be flexed (whole-grain versions of items like bread and rice are always preferred, but the choice is yours). We hope you love the sense of wholesome balance that we have worked hard to create for you through Fraîche Table.
