Non existent. Yet, parents everywhere don’t seem to care.
People everywhere claim to love animals but that feeling seems to stop at the barn door for the unfortunate 60 billion “food animals” that we raise on this planet for our dinner tables. Likewise, virtually ALL parents truly do love their children and want the very best for them. BUT — they blindly and silently let them order whatever they want at fast food restaurants, serve them hot dogs and burgers, and celebrate their birthdays at Chuck E. Cheese’s.
Cheese for the Children -- the pathway to obesity, diabetes, heart disease and cancer.
For the “food animals,” it’s more a case of out-of-sight, out-of-mind. But for the children, it must be a case of sheer ignorance of what constitutes healthy eating for adults or children — getting most of our calories from whole, plant-based foods. Hence, the purpose of this blog (and numerous others) is to spread the word about the simple, health-promoting truth about what we all should be eating…especially our children.
As 2011 draws to a close, I have been summarizing a few of my almost 300 posts since I launched the site in February. I have been featuring them in blogs — organized by general categories of compelling reasons that support a plant-based diet for humans. Today, the focus in once again on the children — our hope for the future. Here is my complete top ten list of those reasons:
We simply must make things right for the children.
- Restoring our own health.
- Lowering the cost of health care.
- Feeding the world’s hungry.
- Conserving and protecting our water supply from pollution.
- Conserving our finite fossil fuel resources.
- Ending the deadly trend of lost species.
- Helping to slow or possibly reverse global warming.
- Restore our planet’s forests, rivers, biodiversity and overall harmony.
- Ending the barbaric practice of killing 60 billion animals for our food.
- Ensure that our children and all future generations can be healthy.
The pied piper of the 21st century
So far, I have blogged about #3 and #5 — and you can click on them if you like. While all of the above are crucially important to the health of ourselves and our planet going forward; perhaps #10 could create the most change — but only if people learn the truth about what we’re feeding our children these days.
From my perspective, we have made ZERO progress during 2011. Oh, the White House may quote some meaningless statistic about school lunch programs improving one tenth of one percent in some obscure category. But, in reality, we are nowhere in this effort. The lion’s share of kids menus everywhere are still the same unhealthy items: chicken nuggets, fries, burgers, pizza, mac & cheese, grilled cheese, and hot dogs. And famous people everywhere are still wearing those disgusting milk mustaches in commercials WITH our children.
Michelle is trying to do some good things, but she's not doing nearly enough to make a meaningful difference. See article below.
We all must take some responsibility here and start sharing the cold hard facts with everyone we know. For the sake of your own children; read these posts and then make some changes in your own home. For the sake of children everywhere; share this blog with everyone you know.
1. Children — NOTHING is more important than what they eat! This may be my most important post ever… Happy 4th of July weekend! America’s Holiday — when over 90% of our nation’s children will be eating hot dogs and hamburgers from the backyard grill. This warm family scene illustrates the … Continue reading →
2. Michelle, it’s time to tell the world about “meat & dairy.” Dear Michelle, I love what you’re trying to do regarding the health of the children. I am just wondering when you think you might be ready to tell the world the truth about the “low-fat dairy” and “healthier meats” that … Continue reading →
3. No cow’s milk for humans at any age…even Dr. Spock agrees. Last week, I posted a blog on the topic of early puberty and the problems involved. In that blog, Dr. McDougall and Dr. Fuhrman stated vehemently that they do in fact know the cause of early puberty — Dr. McDougall …Continue reading →
Not to pick on McDonald's; they're no worse than all the rest. They're just the largest.
4. Extremely early puberty…Would you believe 6 years old? A front page article on this topic appeared in the USA Today on April 11, 2011. The complete headline reads: PUBERTY TOO SOON…Girls are maturing faster than ever, and doctors are not sure why. By Liz Szabo — USA Today … Continue reading →
A glimmer of hope. Statistics show that young people are much more likely to embrace plant-based eating than are their parents. They just need to hear the truth (see top ten list) and they’re happy to completely change their diet rather quickly. And, even if their own parents never show them the right way to eat: when they get to college, they are six times more likely to choose plant-based eating — compared to the average American adult (18% vs. 3.2%).
In closing, let’s give our children something wonderful this holiday season — the gift of lifelong health for them, their children and all future generations. Let’s empower those children to promote health, hope and harmony on planet Earth.
If you like what you see here, you may wish to join our periodic mailing list. Also, for help in your own quest to take charge of your health, you might find some useful information at our 4-Leaf page. And if you like what 4-Leaf eating is doing for you and your family, you might enjoy visiting our new “4-Leaf Gear” store. From the seaside village of Stonington, Connecticut – Be well and have a great day.
J. Morris Hicks, author and activist. Working daily to promote health, hope and harmony on planet Earth.
If you’d like to order our book on Amazon, visit our BookStore now.
—J. Morris Hicks…blogging daily at HealthyEatingHealthyWorld.com
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J. Morris Hicks, engineer. writer. big picture guy. 
“Healthy” and “Kids Menu.” There is no such thing; kind of like the classic oxymoron: military intelligence. Best, J. Morris Hicks
What part of “Healthy Kids Menu” is an oxymoron (using the definition of oxymoron as “figure of speech that combines contradictory terms”).
Which terms in the title are contradictory?
The statistic of existing 95% carnivorous public you have stated several times tells me one thing about the healthy lifestyle movement – it is not promoting the idea of a healthy diet effectively.
For example, there is now a library of books on healthy diets, several of which are on the best seller list. But, since it is common knowledge that less than 10% of the public read books then over 90% of the public are not getting the message. Further, the vast majority of readers are not compliant. Clearly, writing yet another health book will not make a dent in this problem.
You are going to need innovative approaches to be heard over the ongoing cacophony of food industry hype. A careful study of how the tobacco industry was tamed in the USA may offer some clues.
Great post again! Sharing everywhere…
There is so much pressure on kids to “run with the herd,” and all of this bad food is so readily available, especially compared to the good healthy foods, that they really do need to be commited to not eating animal produce in order to not follow the crowd. I think it has to be a family lifestyle, and the kids need to be exposed to some degree to just what sort of misery and horror, accompanies meat, dairy and eggs so that they know this, as well as someone explaining to them it is healthier for them and the planet. As they get older they can learn more details about these things. I wish I had known 40 years ago what I now know!
Some people deal with you promoting a plant-based diet with curiosity and interest. Some just let your words go in one ear and out the other. Some seem to feel very threatened, and will attack and try to belittle and discredit you. I ran into some of these the other day, and it can be very discouraging for your feelings about the future success of this movement, especially when you live in Iowa farm country and are surrounded by people who not only eat the Western diet, but promote it and glory in it. It’s a tough row to hoe.
And the children shall lead them. And how do we get the parents to lead the children?
What if the parent’s know the truth and still no change? I have preached to my son and daughter about plant based food and what do they feed their children…the American garbage diet.
HOW PATHETIC!
Thank you for another wonderful article! I share your passion and appreciate your efforts to enlighten. Change must happen. The world’s children deserve better and that is only going to happen through education. I believe if everyone knew the truth, all would make better choices, for themselves and their children. Thank you for all you do! So glad I found you and your wonderful work!