By Emory Liscord MD

“Veggie Sense”

Like Spiderman’s “Spidy Sense”, its a toddler’s super power.

Their incredible ability to sense a hidden health food.

And it drives us all crazy.

“I see a SEED mom” says my 5 year old.

“What’s that green thing mom?” says my 2 year old.

It’s the one thing they have control over,

So I have to cut them a little slack.

Our parental willpower starts off strong.

But we get tired, annoyed, and desperate for a “whine” neutralizing snack.

We give in to the goldfish, a yogurt, the juice box.

This morning, it was a muffin on the way to daycare,

just to avoid world war three.

A muffin. Sigh. Another way of eating cake for breakfast.

I get it.

And its okay. You’re okay

BUT what our children eat matters.

Actually it matters a whole lot more than you think.

Epigenetics is how your environment changes your genes.

It starts young

The sequela of those changes are not evident till later in life.

Your kids will be fine, fine, fine, fine.

Until they are not.

Mostly it comes down to sugar. They eat too much of it.

Its in everything.

Juice induces the same fatty liver changes in kids that we seen in middle age alcoholics.

What children eat sets their palate for life.

You cant say no to a doughnut? Guess why?

It started decades ago.

So. As a parent …

Have grace with yourself on your “muffin days”

But motivate where and when you can.

You can do this.