On behalf of Eat By Design Coaching I have started interviewing Mothers in our communities that are leading their family towards health while remaining true to the Eat By Design principles they have learned along the way.
My third edition features Marta Lorusso, wife of Nick, and Mother of Ethan (age 6) and Emily (age 3).
What are your best strategies for feeding your family By Design?
Our number one strategy is to only have By Design food in the house. All of our go to meals and snacks are By Design. The most processed quick-and-easy snack we keep I the house is applesauce. All snacks for Ethan and Emily are kept lower in the fridge and cupboards so the kids can eat when they are hungry.
Having a plan is also critical. Nick and I always shop on Saturdays, so there is always plenty of food in the house. We center our meals on protein and make sure we cook seafood or fish a few days a week. We always cook chicken early in the week and then again later in the week so we are not repeating meals. We recently purchased a half cow share, so will bring frozen beef up from the freezer and have it Sunday and Monday night after it thaws.
What are staples?
Eggs! We buy two flats at The Western Fair Farmer’s Market every Saturday. The biggest change for our family has been breakfast, because it was the area where the kids were eating the worst, cereal. When we transitioned the kids into eating By Design, we started here and weaned them off cereal by replacing it will eggs. They love eggs!
Homemade hamburgers and Nick’s infamous garage sauce are other staples that are always on hand.
Are the kids picky eaters?
Yes, both are very picky. My biggest challenge is getting them to eat any vegetables. But they love meat and will eat anything that is in a soup. I make their Grandmother’s chicken soup recipe every week and sneak vegetables into it. I often buy pureed organic baby food and sneak it into recipes.
We also have a strict dairy free home because of Ethan’s allergies.
The kids’ favourite foods are bacon, sausages, sliders, their Nona’s meatballs and fruit dipped in almond butter.
What has been the most challenging?
The influence from school, especially what the other kids are eating and what the class is given as a snack on special occasions.
Halloween used to be a challenge but was a big success this year. We traded the kid’s candy for money and they were okay giving that up. They picked out a toy they really wanted ahead of time.
How long has your family been eating By Design?
Nick started two years ago. The kids and myself started just under a year ago. Nick cut out foods that were not By Design cold turkey in an effort to support his health, and I supported him. Next, we got the kids on board.
What have you noticed?
We have noticed the biggest change in Ethan. He used to have very thin limbs and a belly, waking up with leg cramps and severe asthma. Now, he is lean and vibrant looking, does not have leg cramps anymore and has stopped taking his steroid puffer.
We notice that Emily’s mood has balanced. She is only hyper, moody and defiant when she has eaten sugar or gluten.
It is amazing to see how educated the kids are about food. They understand why we eat good By Design foods and why we avoid bad non By Design foods. They use the same language Nick and I use. The words “gluten”, “gut” and “toxins” are common words in their vocabulary.
What is your message to other Mothers?
Your children's first foods affect their potential in life later on. As a teacher I see the effect of poor food on children’s performance. I can tell what students in my class have had for breakfast because they cannot sit down, are hyper and irritable. One of my students recently told me he had chips and Mountain Dew for breakfast. I can see that they are already at a disadvantage with respect to physical capacity and learning potential. They aren’t fueled properly. It makes a big difference and it shows.
The transition to eating real food can be challenging, but stick with it and make sure your kids understand why they are eating these foods. Ethan and Emily understand why we Eat By Design; we talk about it all the time. The decision is theirs, and would be much less impactful if they did it “because Mom told them to”.
For more simple By Design recipes why not pick up your copy of the Eat By Design Cookbook. I’ve created it in the form of a 28-day meal plan (plus grocery lists!) so you don’t need to think about what’s for breakfast, lunch or dinner for the next month. Or you can grab the first 7 days FREE by clicking here.