Eat Only Things That Breathe

Sometimes the best things are the most simple. My 4 year old niece was deciding what to have for lunch and my brother said to her, "Remember our rule." Her response, "We only eat things that breathe." Then she went on to name a list of foods and tell us if they followed the rule. Chips - nope. Pretzels - nope. Corn - yes. Cucumber - yes.

The adults in the room can't be left out of a fun game, so we started naming things and my niece got them all correct. What a elegant, easy way to help kids understand good food choices. Plus, it connects them to the natural state of their food. Meat counts in the yes category, so she knows a hamburger comes from cattle and that cattle breathe.

Credit goes to my brother for sharing something so simple and effective. And he gets credit for being a great Dad, too.