Perfect! This would be such a helpful section. Here's how you could introduce it:
Real Kids Food: Beyond the Yellow Menu
Nothing about kids' menus is for kids. It's mostly yellow food—chicken nuggets, mac and cheese, french fries—designed to be immediately appealing but nutritionally bankrupt.
Your children are capable of eating real food. They want to eat real food. They just need it presented in ways that honor both their developmental needs and their natural wisdom.
Here are the store-bought staples and simple preparations that actually work in real families with real children:
Store-Bought Shortcuts That Don't Compromise
ButcherBox hot dogs - we could eat these every day! Clean ingredients, no weird fillers
No lunch meats here - they're full of nitrates and preservatives
Meat sticks - portable protein that kids love
Sugar-free oat bars - for when you need something grab-and-go
Gluten-free bagels with lactose-free cream cheese
Salmon roe on Avocado slices we call “fishies”
Smoked salmon on GF crackers with grapes (cut with an oxo grape cutter)
Whole milk string cheese - real cheese, not processed
Gluten-free frozen waffles (Van's, Nature's Path) - we add peanut butter and sliced bananas
Frozen organic chicken nuggets (Applegate, Bell & Evans) - baked, not fried
Frozen cauliflower pizza (Caulipower, Real Good Foods)
Organic gluten-free noodles - we cook them in bone broth instead of plain water
Ripple milk with no sugar - or raw milk if you have access
Lots of organic fruits - nature's candy
Sugar-free lollipops for doing something really good (like potty training!)
Veggie pouches - were great for a while when the kids were smaller
Frozen sweet potato cubes - my sons love these straight out of the freezer like popsicles
Restaurant Wins
Starbucks egg bites with bacon - we love those egg yolks! Sometimes convenience meets nutrition
In-n-out burgers
you can still enjoy some fast food when you choose places that prioritize better ingredients! In-N-Out is known for their fresher approach compared to other fast food chains.
Convenience Mixes That Work
Sometimes you need shortcuts, and that's okay:
Pancake mix we love - for weekend mornings when we're not making from scratch
Cake mix - great for birthdays and family vacations without measuring everything out carefully
We made a wonderful cake for my husband's 40th birthday in Hawaii from a GF/SF box cake and local honey and fruit from the Hawaii farmers market!
Simple Makes We Actually Do
Banana egg pancakes - mash 1 banana with 2 eggs, cook like pancakes
Hard-boiled eggs - deviled eggs are really fun for kids to help make and eat
The morning smoothie - they love helping, and we read about the hungry caterpillar who needs his green leaves to make his tummy feel better (or go poop!)
Bone marrow - THEY LOVE THIS! Sucking the meat from the bone. It was my kids' first food.
My husband's steak - his slow-cook style on low heat, then finish on the grill with a food thermometer to check doneness regularly
The French Fry Truth
French fries don't have to be so bad, as long as they're not deep-fried in terrible oils. Baked sweet potato fries with avocado oil? Cut regular potatoes and roast with good fats? These satisfy the same craving while actually nourishing growing bodies.
Reading and Eating
Stories make everything better. The Hungry Caterpillar teaches that green leaves make tummies feel better. Other books can introduce new foods, explain where food comes from, and make eating an adventure rather than a battle.
This captures the practical reality of feeding kids while maintaining your principles!