How Ahimsa Solves Top 3 Parenting New Year's Resolutions
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Time to Read: 7 min
Top 3 Parenting New Year's Resolutions
As a parent, life is busy. At Ahimsa, we're here to help make it easy to tackle your parenting new year's resolutions. Read below for the top 3 and how we can help you solve them.
About Ahimsa
Founded by a pediatrician and mom of three
Stainless steel is the only kid-friendly material recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics
We are guided by a Scientific Advisory Council comprised of environmental and medical experts, guiding us in creating the safest products, following the latest science and promoting policy to protect human health and our planet
Want to know more? Check out our story and our products.
1. I want to spend quality time with my kids
One of the most important things you can do with your kids is simply eating meals with them. Did you know that something as simple as frequently eating meals together contributes to many physical, emotional and developmental benefits for kids? As a Pediatrician, I designed every element of Ahimsa products and activities to make mealtime fun and engaging because well - mealtime is so important. This type of quality family time is priceless and, of course, like everything at Ahimsa, is backed by science.
Research studies continue to show that family meals lead to healthier children. Children and adolescents who share family meals three or more times per week are more likely to be in a normal weight range and have healthier dietary and eating patterns. Studies also show that the frequency of shared family meals is associated with improved mental health, bonded families, better grades and developmental boosts in young children. Yes - this quality time around the family dining table can do all of these things!
Check out our downloadable Dish and Dine cards that help start fun discussions with your children at your next family meal. In addition to reconnecting about your day at work and school - you can also tap into the incredible imagination of young minds with these engaging conversation starters.
2. I want to put nutritious food into my children’s bellies
Every parent wants to offer wholesome, fresh, healthy food to their children. But life is busy, and the endless information on the internet can be overwhelming. As a Mom of 3 kids, I get it. The daily decisions to make and serve every day - breakfast, lunches, snacks, dinners … sometimes it feels like a never-ending mountain to climb.
That’s why I designed Ahimsa to be a straightforward tool to help you and your child make easy decisions about what goes into their bellies! Each item is perfectly sized (based on science) to help you with age-apportion portions, and the plate is a literal map of what to put in each compartment. Print our simple roadmap below and put it on your fridge to remind you how to serve well-balanced nutritious meals every time!
Mealtime Essentials
You can also check out our age-based food guides to help you figure out the basics of what to serve and how much. Remember that each child is different, but these can help you get a start on understanding the big picture behind serving healthy meals. And don’t forget, children are intuitive eaters, so your job is to simply serve the food, and their job is to consume the food (no more clean plate club but instead trusting that their little bodies and brains won’t let them starve!).
3. I want to teach my kids to be independent and confident.
Some call them chores. I call them learning opportunities! Some of the best opportunities to teach your children valuable life skills occur in the kitchen and dining room. Research suggests there are benefits to including chores in a child's daily routine as early as age 3. These include executive function skills like self-control, planning, creative thinking and organizational abilities. These skills can help children deal with frustration and challenges, leading to success in school and playing a positive role in developing teamwork abilities. It also provides them an opportunity for success as a team member of the family. Setting a good foundation for functioning independently helps build confidence in our little ones.
Helping to unload groceries, prepping meals, setting the table and loading the dishwasher all are easy ways to enlist your child's help during mealtime while promoting critical developmental skills that last a lifetime. Check out how to teach independence with mealtime here on our blog.
So, as you enter the New Year, my hope is that Ahimsa can provide the guidance and tools to help you achieve some of the resolutions above. And remember, New Year’s resolutions can also be a great way for kids to get motivated and form good habits that can last a lifetime. Here are some great age-specific recommendations from the American Academy of Pediatrics that can supplement your mealtime resolutions this year!
Preschool:
- I will try new foods when I can, especially all different colors of vegetables.
- I will learn how to help clear the table when I am done eating.
Ages 5 to 12:
- I will drink water every day.
- I will try new flavors and textures of foods, even if it’s just a bite.
Teens:
- I will try to eat two servings of fruit and two servings of vegetables every day.
- I will drink sodas or fruit drinks only at special times.
Cheers to a Happy, Healthy 2022!
References:
Dr. Manasa Mantravadi
Dr. Manasa Mantravadi is a board-certified pediatrician whose dedication to children’s health drove her to launch Ahimsa, the world's first colorful stainless steel dishes for kids. She was motivated by the American Academy of Pediatrics’ findings on harmful chemicals in plastic affecting children's well-being. Ahimsa has gained widespread recognition and been featured in media outlets such as Parents Magazine, the Today Show, The Oprah Magazine, and more.
Dr. Mantravadi received the esteemed “Physician Mentor of the Year” award at Indiana University School of Medicine in 2019. She was also named a Forbes Next 1000 Entrepreneur in 2021, with her inspiring story showcased on Good Morning America. She serves on the Council for Environmental Health and Climate Change and the Council for School Health at The American Academy of Pediatrics. She represents Ahimsa as a U.S. industry stakeholder on the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC) for the Global Plastics Treaty, led by the United Nations Environment Program. Dr. Mantravadi leads Ahimsa's social impact program, The Conscious Cafeteria Project, to reduce carbon emissions and safeguard student health as part of a national pilot of the Clinton Global Initiative.
She is dedicated to educating and empowering people to make healthier, more environmentally friendly choices at mealtime. Her mission remains to advocate for the health of all children and the one planet we will leave behind for them through real policy change within our food system.
More Mealtime Essentials
Frequently Asked Questions
Why should I use stainless steel instead of plastic? Is stainless steel better for health?
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) released a report in July 2018 suggesting ways that families can limit exposure to certain chemicals at mealtime, including “the use of alternatives to plastic, such as glass or stainless steel, when possible.” The report explained that “…some additives are put directly in foods, while “indirect” additives may include chemicals from plastic, glues, dyes, paper, cardboard”. Further, “Children are more sensitive to chemical exposures because they eat and drink more, relative to body weight, than adults do, and are still growing and developing.” While stainless steel items meet the recommendation to avoid plastic products in children, Ahimsa® products have the obvious advantage of not breaking like glass.
Is stainless steel better for the environment than plastic?
According to the Steel Recycling Institute, steel can be recycled over and over and over again without losing its integrity and requires less energy to recycle than to make anew. Most plastic unfortunately ends up in landfills and it is estimated to take 700 years to decompose. Our special coloring process that allows Ahimsa® products to be fully metal is environmentally friendly, so it does not produce toxic run-off into the ecosystem.
Will Ahimsa products break or peel?
No. Our steel is durable, so it won’t break or shatter with everyday use, like glass. And it won’t peel, like other colored stainless steel products you’ve seen. We use a special process that allows the colors to naturally occur in the metal.
Which Ahimsa products are best for my little one(s)?
Our products are meant to last, you can use Ahimsa at ages 1, 8 and 18! We thoughtfully design our products to be safe for little ones and our planet while reducing consumption. Once your child outgrows the Starting Solids Set and can use regular cups and utensils, the training cup is the perfect size rinse cup in the bathroom, the infant spoon doubles as a tea stirrer and the bowl is great for snacks or as an additional compartment to our modular divided plate. Our plates are great for any age as they encourage choosing a variety of healthy foods at each meal and help visualize portion sizes easily. It’s the lasting beauty of stainless steel - grows with your child and reduces waste.
