Got a cranky kid who's hungry all the time? Think fats!
When we were dodging histamines and salicylates, our meals looked different.
Even though I love to cook (and teach) simple delicious meals filled with colorful veggies and plenty of clean fats and protein... we were skipping the olive, coconut and avocado oil I usually rely on.
A couple of days in, my son was getting cranky. And saying "I'm still hungry" after a big bowl that usually satisfied.
He was really missing those fats!
Here are a few reasons we all need plenty of clean fats:
Fats are filling, and provide steadier, longer-lasting energy than the sugary surge and crash of processed carbs like crackers and bread.
Many nutrients are fat-soluble (like vitamins A, D, E and K) meaning they need fats to be delivered through our digestive system lining into our body to be used for so many things (just vitamin D is needed for immune health, calcium balance, bone health, mood support, energy, and more).
Fats are great for mental health and nervous system support.
BUT... what if you're not eating histamines OR salicylates for a bit?
That knocks out the nut and seed oils, along with avocado, olive and coconut oils.
What's left??
Here are two strategies for getting enough fats even while you temporarily remove those triggers and heal your child's gut enough to get these important foods back on their plate:
1➡ More high quality fish oil, and even though it's quite expensive. (get 25% off when you get it here!)
2➡ More free-range/organic/grassfed animal fats - I cooked up extra fatty ground meats (including a few pounds of fatty chicken thighs I special-requested at the meat counter), in addition to our weekly roast chicken so I could pour the savory liquid fats from the pan into my kiddo's bowl, then add olive oil to my own.
Lamb, onions and cabbage for breakfast and lunch - spoon extra fats from the tilted pan. To prevent cooling and limit bacteria growth, add the fats/liquid piping hot to a preheated container (fill with hot water) and leave minimal air space. (on really cold days I'll put the insulated steel container in a wool hat or sock too!)
Rubber bands are great grips for cold hands to get a tight lid twisted off.
I threw in this crazy big sunchoke to make him laugh - he loves it when his classmates are baffled by his vegetables, and he actually loves to munch these raw!
Another hot lunch this time with chicken, cabbage, onions, carrots and redmond salt.
Limitations like this are temporary - the goal is to get to the bottom of the disruption that's causing the intolerances, whether it's a gut microbe imbalance, Lyme, mold toxicity, a genetic predisposition for low DAO enzyme...
The more flexibility you have in how you can feed your child, the more confident you will be to meet whatever comes your way. And that's the best recipe for peace of mind!
Raising a healthy happy confident and resilient child IS where you're going (so you can have more fun together and even some time for you)!
BTW it's not always pretty... Since leftovers in the fridge were taboo for their histamine-producing bacteria, and since it was too cold to send him to outdoor school with partially thawed protein, my leftovers piled up in the freezer as would-be instant breakfast bowls (my glass containers are in storage so it really went in bowls!) as I kept cooking our breakfasts from scratch, so I could pack him those hot fatty lunches... they'll make great quick dinners too 😊
What's your challenge these days?
What solution are you looking for?