Fast Food Not the Only Issue with American Kids' Diets

In recent years, studies blame fast food advertising for undermining kids health. It's true that most fast food is full of empty (nutritionally devoid) calories. It's true that some of the unhealthiest foods are dished up in fast food restaurants. We've all seen the scary statistics. We know their colorful advertising appeals to kids. We also know that most conventional sit down restaurants are guilty of loading our food with excess fat, calories and salt. Still we keep coming back for seconds. Why is that? The root of this problem isn't fast food or restaurant food, it's the entire American diet concept. The way we cook at home is negatively impacting our kids' health just as much as the fast food industry. It's time for drastic changes in the way we view nutrition.

Monsanto and processed food unite for kids' bad health. If you haven't yet watched Food Inc. It's available for free on Netflix this month. Watch it for your children and yourself. Food Inc. reveals the startling truth about what's in Monsanto's genetically modified foods as well as it's monopoly of the food industry in America. You'll find these dangerous genetically modified foods in more places than you might think. Even ketchup and mayonnaise contain them. In fact GMO's are found in most processed foods. What's more, the produce in your supermarket does not have to be labeled as genetically modified. You may not even realize you're eating genetically modified foods.

The American meat based diet is lethal for kids and for you. Check out the fact sheet of The Cancer Project, an undertaking of The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine. Watch the documentary, Forks over Knives , free on Netflix this month. The evidence is unmistakable. Our meat based diets are without question, the leading cause of cancer. Yet we continue to ignore the evidence. Why? Because we've been told for so long that we cannot possibly survive without meat in our diets. We believe that myth without question. We are told we need protein to survive and that's true. Yet, according to The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, we don't need as much protein as we're told and we don't need meat protein at all.

Dairy is a bad egg for kids and adults. For so many years, we've been told that milk does a body good. We believe it. We pass it on to our kids. Yet, we were never intended to eat or drink dairy products. Cows milk is healthy, for cows. According to The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, "Many Americans, including some vegetarians, still consume substantial amounts of dairy products-and government policies still promote them-despite scientific evidence that questions their health benefits and indicates their potential health risks."

Americans feel fruits and vegetables are too expensive. What's truly expensive are the medical bills from consuming and buying into the American way of eating. Eliminate meat and dairy from your kids diets. Stop buying processed foods. There will be plenty of money left to purchase healthy organic fruits, vegetables and whole grains. These food items sustain good health and reverse disease. They are the key to turning around childhood obesity. We should be singing their praises, not treating them as second class citizens on our plates.

Blame yourself for your kids' bad eating habits. You buy the groceries. You pay for the fast food. You buy into the American diet myths. Through example, you teach your kids to eat unhealthy foods that promote cancer, heart disease, diabetes and more. It doesn't have to be that way. Educate yourself. There is an epidemic of bad eating habits and poor health in this country. It isn't about substituting for the lesser evil. It's about making the drastic changes necessary for the good health of your children and yourself. Vote for change with your grocery dollars. Wipe meat and dairy off the food pyramid for the good health of all. Take a stand against food guidelines written for profit. Dare to keep your family healthy, despite the opinions of your disillusioned fellow Americans. Be a leader, not a lemming.