OK this one is for the mom's out there. There is a growing grassroots movement going on in our country that, if I had children I would surely be a part of but for now my niece will have to do.
Basically people, mom's, chefs and farmers, teachers have come together and realized that the school lunch program in this country, and many others is...well....horrible not to mention unhealthy for our precious children.
One women in particular, Alice Waters, created the Edible Schoolyard whose mission is to create and sustain an organic garden and landscape that is wholly integrated into the school's curriculum and lunch program. It involves the students in all aspects of farming the garden – along with preparing, serving and eating the food – as a means of awakening their senses and encouraging awareness and appreciation of the trans formative values of nourishment, community, and stewardship of the land. Obviously I think this is awesome and needed as the rate of child obesity in this country is rising at an alarming pace but also I think so many children have lost a connection with real, whole food.
I have seen the opposite of this in my own niece whose love for food, real, living wonderfully God given food has been so nourished and cultivated by my sister that her favorite food is broccoli. I have never seen another human being eat broccoli the way this girl eats it. Eyes closed, every bite savored, it is truly a magical experience for her. I write this not to state the obvious...my niece is a brilliant prodigy..but rather to say that I think that truly nourishing our children is one of the truest ways we can express our love to them. Sure it's easy to throw in those chicken mcnuggets that came from...well who knows where....but what joy could come from packing a nutritious and healthy lunch filled with love for that little one. Imagine the energy they might get from a beautiful salad or a bowl full of homemade hummus, knowing how much effort went into making it for them. I can say from personal experience that although certain things such as this might take longer, the joys are far reaching.
If you're interested I came across these awesome lunch boxes created by a set of moms to help create healthy lunches and produce less waste as well! http://www.laptoplunches.com/
“The day is coming when a single carrot, freshly observed, will set off a revolution.”
Paul Cezanne
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2 comments:
Whoo-hoo!!!! Another post!! :-) Now, this one really made me think. I confess, I'm guilty of feeding my children convenience foods. It certainly is a time-saver, and they enjoy it. I'm wondering how much that matters, though. I am starting to make some changes. They do love several kinds of fresh fruit, and they even like a few veggies. Taking them to their first farmer's markets on Saturday (due to your blog!) will hopefully begin to open their eyes to new things. It's starting to open mine.
The story about your niece and broccoli is amazing. I should probably get together with you and your sister to learn a few things!
Kara woo hoo to you for going to the market and making changes already. I think that is so awesome. Tim & I have been on this sort of food journey since we met, making baby steps all along the way. I think any change even a small one is amazing. I hope I didn't mean to sound as if people who feed their kids nuggets don't love their children. I certainly don't believe that. I just wanted to emphasize the power of expressing love to those around you with real yummy food. Some of my most cherished memories so far are of my meals with Tim's family in Italy. Even the restaurants serve you only the finest local ingredients with so much love and care and they don't even know you, it is truly amazing.
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