Food
Turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce and pumpkin pie
Eat, eat, eat
Visit family and eat some more
Work parties and foods you don’t usually consume
Shopping, stress, travel and continue your daily tasks
Over eat and fall asleep
Repeat
Food: it’s a recipe for disaster!
This week on our podcast, we talk about Holiday Eating
I am listening to Christmas music as I write today.
Several years ago I found this fun Italian inspired song, Dominick the Donkey (The Italian Christmas Donkey). It is a fun, lively song by an Italian American singer who was born in New York City and grew up in Bergen County, NJ. Bergen County is where my parents grew up and where my Italian grandparents lived out their lives after moving from the Bronx in 1950. They bought a small cape cod house in New Mildford, NJ and my grandfather commuted into New York city where he worked installing elevators.
As I listen to this song, I am transported to my grandparents house and can hear my grandfather’s voice because Lou Monte sounds very much like my grandpa, aka, Papa Louie.
We moved away from New Jersey to Canton, Ohio when I was 2 years old, leaving all of our extended family. At least once a year, we would make the 450 mile drive across Route 80 back to New Jersey. We often went for Christmas as well as for weddings and other family events.
My father grew up In Hackensack, New Jersey, also in Bergen County and we would visit both sides of the family. Christmas Day we would have dinner in New Mildford at my moms’s parents house. Aunts, uncles, cousins and extended friends and family gathered in their tiny living room for antipasto and then we would gather in the basement to eat dinner on fold out metal tables covered with a white table cloth. The holiday continued that evening as we would then go the my dad’s parents house for desert!
Desert was more than what you might imagine. It was a meal unto itself with many courses; cannoli’s, Italian Christmas Cookies, Italian cream pie (my dad’s favorite), crumb cake with a crumb layer twice that of the cake (my favorite) and an assortment of pies. You had to have a little bit of everything and boy did I overindulge on those delectable sweet treats. My mother was a health food nut before it was fashionable and so we only had sugary snacks on holidays and special occasions. This smorgasbord of delights was like a dream come true to this young child with a sweet tooth.
Holiday memories, holiday food
How do we embrace traditions and invite our children to enjoy the experiences that we cherish from our own childhood without creating an environment for meltdowns and explosive behavior?
I have discovered through parenting that my kids and I are sensitive to food dyes, additives, corn syrup as well as having an intolerance to gluten and some of us are sensitivity to dairy.
Over the years, I have adjusted our food choices based on these experiences and have adapted recipes to meet our dietary challenges. I have searched far and wide to find candy canes without dyes and corn syrup, and yes, they do exist! Yum Earth has a variety of natural, dye free candies and has been my go to for Easter and Halloween candy as well as a source of candy canes. As I searched natural or allergy free candy canes, I also found Sweet Organics .
I have made my own cookies, cakes and pies in order to know and to control what ingredients go into the treats that I feed to my family. When we first embarked on the gluten free journey, I adapted traditional recipes using gluten free flour and when needed substituted chia seeds for eggs and dairy free ingredients like tofu and vegan cheese in lasagna. Now, it is so easy to find gluten free and dairy free recipes and I have a Pinterest board as a place to save thees recipes. Feel free to check out my Pinterest Board yet be aware that as of this writing, it is a bit disorganized. Every time I open the link and look for a recipe, I think to myself, I need to better organize these recipes so I can find things easier.
One of my favorite cookie recipes that has become my signature item came from a traditional recipe that I adapted with gluten free flour. I had the recipe on paper and a few years ago I could not locate it. I was devastated! How would I make my famous cookies that always tasted amazing. I searched online and found a similar gluten free chocolate gingerbread cookie recipe and have used it since. Yet, I am hopeful that I will find the stained piece of paper with my original recipe and look forward to comparing it to the new recipe I found.
Adapting recipes and bringing your own food items to holiday gatherings is one way to know what your children are eating and also a way for them to not feel deprived if they have allergies or sensitivities and like my kids, are in the habit of reading labels and telling people, “I can’t have gluten, food dyes, dairy, corn….” etc.
Another option is to feed yourself and your kids before going to an event where you don’t know what the food options will be. Eating some healthy food and especially some protein before going to a party or family gathering is a way to provide the nourishment they need and also fill their stomachs so they won’t overindulge on foods that could have a negative affect on their health and behavior.
I include myself in this plan because as described above, I have a sweet tooth and used to tell people, I avoid gluten and dairy unless chocolate is involved! I do now avoid gluten nearly 100% of the time and minimize my dairy and corn intake as well as do my best to avoid artificial ingredients like dyes and preservatives. I do this because I know the effect these items have on me and I have learned that I can choose health and also enjoy sweet treats.
I went a number of years avoiding all forms of dairy and have found that I can now tolerate certain types of dairy in small portions. When I do overindulge, I am reminded of it by how I feel after the fact, including issues with sinus infections and digestion as well as my mental health. We learn from our mistakes and it took removing the foods that bothered me and then adding them back in to discover the extent of their harmful effects. Our Naturopathic Doctor told us even as we sent of IgG allergy testing that they best way to determine food allergies and sensitivities is following an elimination diet.
I invite you to think about past years and how your children’s behavior might have been more challenging at or after a holiday gathering or event. Think about a birthday party your child has attended and all the food and/or snacks that were served and how the kids acted before and after they ate.
Food does affect behavior not only in our kids but also in ourselves. And if we are eating things that cause us health challenges, it can make us less patient with our children adding to the stress that already exists during holidays. We step outside of our usual routines during holidays and not only eat differently but also are often overscheduled and participating in extra events that can leave us exhausted and drained. If we are feeling “holiday stress” then our children and anyone is our household is likely feeling it as well.
Make one new choice this year, one step forward. Find a recipe or purchase a healthier version of an item your child loves to eat. Choose to eat something healthy before going to a party and invite your kids to do so as well. Eat a light meal prior to going to a gathering, telling your family that you don’t know when food. will be served and you don’t want anyone to get over hungry or hangry.
Step outside the box and find a way to enjoy holiday food without guilt, illness, behavior problems and added stress. I would love to hear what has worked for you and your family. And if you try any of these ideas, please share your experience with us.
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