Middle Ground
Bruneau knows that you can make food rules for kids—but that doesn’t mean they’ll follow them. “Our attempts to feed Percy any meat at all haven’t gone well because he’s a white-food baby,” she says. “He just will not put anything from the earth in his mouth at all,” although he will chow down on both tofu and tuna.
And what about when Thanksgiving rolls around and Percy is looking at a slice of grandma’s turkey?
“Choosing the battles it the most important thing. I think that it’s wise to back off. If he has a hormone-filled meal once a month, that’s not a big deal. I think it’s really important to back off and be holistic in your approach to feeding your child right. Throwing grandma into the defensive and making her feel her food is not good enough—it’s just not worth it.”
Choosing to eat less meat doesn’t have to be a strident change in your family’s eating habits or budget. Just making the more earth- and health-friendly choice once in awhile means you’re taking a small step in the right direction.
