REAL food comes from PLANTS and ANIMALS!

REAL food comes from THE WILD.

REAL food comes from NATURE.

ALL food comes from NATURE & THE WILD.

Your kiddos should start thinking about food with THIS RULE in the front of mind. Teach them this, let me teach them this, drill this concept home…

To show them the contrast…visit these posts below. They will start to see the difference between unhealthy processed food and healthy natural food.

• What Is BIG FOOD? (click here)
• What Is The “JUNK” in “JUNK FOOD” (click here)
• The Good and Bad of FAST FOOD (click here)

…that way, when they are in the grocery store and see a box of Ding-Dongs….they’ll be conditioned to think

“Hey wait a minute….is this box of Ding-Dongs from NATURE or THE WILD?

In Sizzle Kidz programs, we will ALWAYS be going back to this CONCEPT….asking the kids “Where does this food come from?”

• “Hey Tyler, so you want Fruit Snacks?…Where do they come from? Do they come from Nature or The Wild?…Can you pick them off a bush or a tree?? No you say??….then where the heck do they come from….????”
• You will see the wheels start turning in their little head….
• Little Tyler will start trying to figure it out…
• This is where you come in and encourage him to look at the food label (We will be learning all about food labels soon).
• Ask him what ingredients on the food label DO come from NATURE or THE WILD…..and on you go with learning about where ingredients come from.

At this point, there are lots of micro-lessons for little Tyler, about what is on that food label ingredient list, but for now…he will start to understand that “fruit snacks” aren’t really fruit at all….

…yes there is some fruit juice and fruit puree in there, but mostly they are made of sugar in various forms.

Don’t get me wrong! We have our fair share of fruit snacks and honestly, they are very good and fun to eat! The little packages are super convenient to throw in lunch box or a snack bag. No shame here mommas, just KNOWLEDGE. As you know, one of my biggest pet peeves is how tricky the food industry is. I just want to be told the truth (or figure it out myself), and then make my OWN decision about what to eat.

My mission is to arm every kid with all the KNOWLEDGE they need to make the BEST choices about food for THEMSELVES. If the food industry is going try and trick our kids with slick advertising and marketing psychology…then let’s fight back with KNOWLEDGE.

They started it by targeting our kids!

We will end it by teaching our kids ALL ABOUT FOOD! 🙂

When you go through this little process with the kids of asking “Does that come from NATURE or THE WILD?….they will start to have a different viewpoint when thinking about food.

There are many websites & books that will give you swaps and alternatives for many popular processed foods out there. Two of my favorites are:

The Food Babe-Vani Hari (click here)

AND

Eat This Not That! (click here)

To help your kids really UNDERSTAND and RETAIN this concept…go over this next lesson with them whenever you are talking about food and where it comes from. USE THIS SENTENCE to help them remember!

“Humans Find Rich Food”

HUNTING, FISHING, RANCHING, FARMING

Kids LOOOOVE memorizing things and reciting them back to you for love and praise!! Ha ha, but it’s true! Try it with this….

Go over these 4 Activities with the kids, that provide humanity with all of its food. Here’s a quick summary of how each contributes to the food we consume:

1. Hunting

Hunting involves tracking, pursuing, and capturing or killing wild animals for food. Humans have been hunting for tens of thousands of years, relying on various tools and techniques. Animals also hunt each other!Wild animals that humans hunt for food include mammals like deer, elk, rabbits, and boars, as well as birds such as ducks, geese, and quail, among others.
After a successful hunt, the animal is processed into pieces to make it easier to eat. Various parts of the animal, such as the meat, organs, and bones, can be used for food and many other purposes.While hunting for food is less common in modern society today, due to the availability of food, it still plays a significant role in some cultures and regions. Hunting is more common in areas where access to other food is limited (think places where there are no stores like the jungles and plains of the world).

2. Fishing

Fishing involves catching fish and shellfish from rivers, lakes, oceans, and other bodies of water for humans to eat. Humans have been fishing for food for thousands of years, using various techniques and tools as well.

Different methods of fishing include netting (using nets to capture fish in water), angling (using a rod and reel), trapping (using traps or pots to catch fish) and trawling (dragging nets through water).

NETTING

ANGLING

TRAPPING

TRAWLING

Fish have a lot of protein, omega-3 fatty acids, vitamins, and minerals, making them an important part of many diets worldwide. The world eats MORE fish than meat (not including chicken!)

COMMERCIAL FISHING

• Commercial fishing is fishing on a large scale to supply fish to people all over the globe, even if you don’t live near water. Commercial fishing uses advanced technology and equipment such as sonar (sound waves), GPS, and fish finders to locate and catch fish efficiently.
• Aquaculture, or fish farming, is another important aspect of fishing. It involves raising fish in controlled environments such as ponds, tanks, or ocean enclosures. Commonly farmed fish species include salmon, trout, tilapia, and catfish.
• After catching or harvesting, fish are typically cleaned, processed, and preserved for distribution and sale. This may involve gutting, filleting, freezing, canning, or smoking the fish to prolong its shelf life.

Overall, fishing is a significant contributor to the global food supply providing protein-rich food from the wild.

It complements hunting and farming as a vital source of nutrition for human populations worldwide.

3. Ranching

• Ranching involves raising livestock such as cattle, sheep, goats, pigs, and others for the production of meat, dairy, and other animal products.
  

  Livestock raised on ranches are typically (or should be) provided with food, water, shelter, and medical care to ensure their health and well-being. They may graze on pasturelands or be fed a combination of grass, grains, and supplements depending on the specific needs of the animals and the farming practices

• There is some controversy of how some animals are ranches raised. Stick with me here and we will go over some of that in more detail in later lessons.
  Ranching can vary widely in scale, from small family farms to large commercial operations spanning thousands of acres. The techniques used in ranching can also vary based on factors such as geography and climateCommon products obtained from ranching include beef, pork, lamb, poultry, milk, cheese, eggs, and wool, among others. These products are great sources of protein, vitamins, and minerals and are staple foods in many diets around the world.

Overall, ranching plays a crucial role in providing a significant portion of the world’s food supply, particularly in regions where grazing land is abundant like the United States! It supports other food production methods such as farming and fishing, and contributes to the diversity and availability of great food products for humans!

4. Farming

Farming involves cultivating crops (and raising livestock) for food production (see above, ranches and farms overlap). Farming involves various agricultural practices, including planting, watering, fertilizing, harvesting, and raising animals (called “animal husbandry”).

Common crops include grains like wheat, rice, and corn, as well as fruits, vegetables, and legumes (beans, peas).Anyone can start a farm ranging from very small (personal kitchen garden) to very large (homestead, family farm etc.).

Commercial Farming is growing food on a large scale. It provides a reliable food supply to meet the needs of growing populations. Modern farming techniques often involve mechanization, irrigation, and the use of pesticides and fertilizers to maximize yields. Not all of these things are great for the soil or the environment.

After harvesting, crops are processed, packaged, and distributed to markets for sale to humans. Most of our produce in teh grocery stores come from these large commercial farms. Stick with me and I’ll teach you all about the different kids of markets (farmer’s markets to super markets!).

Overall, hunting, fishing, ranching & farming are the FOUR methods by which humans obtain food from the wild.

While HUNTING & FISHING mostly rely on capturing wild animals, RANCHING & FARMING involve growing domesticated plants and animals to produce food in a more controlled way and larger scale. Both hunting/fishing and ranching/farming have played crucial roles in human survival and the development of civilizations throughout history!!

This is a REALLY GREAT video with a ton of fun photos and videos showing the kids all about how food gets to their table! Do NOT Miss this one!!

Enjoy and see you for the next lesson!