For many people, cooking fresh food is a challenge in terms of time and nerves in everyday life. And if you want to eat according to Ayurveda, you will inevitably ask yourself the question: "How do I take the family and especially the children on board? After all, everyone has an individual dosha distribution. And anyway, how do I get my kids in general to even begin to get a foothold in the world of Ayurveda?" This barrage of questions alone is counterproductive and will inevitably get you all flustered inside.
Don't worry, when we talk about "Ayurveda for the whole family", it doesn't mean that you have to cook extra for everyone, convince them of your way or - because you don't see a way out - you have to say goodbye to the Ayurvedic lifestyle yourself. With pressure, coercion or stress you will achieve nothing anyway and hardly contribute to keeping your bioenergies in balance. If you live Ayurveda for yourself, you are already doing a lot for the whole family on several levels.
First me, then my family
In Ayurveda, besides nutrition, emotional components play a very important role in health. So if you "force" healthy Ayurvedic cuisine on your child, he or she will hardly be able to get enthusiastic about Ayurveda, but will develop an aversion to it. There is a general rule that makes the world of Ayurveda accessible to your children: The most important thing is that you yourself are satisfied with your lifestyle and diet and follow the path that is good for you. The rest of the family does not have to follow you meticulously. If your bio-energies are in balance, you will automatically feel better and react differently to conflicts and disagreements within the family than if you are already out of balance. One more little quarrel will probably throw your Pitta Dosha completely off balance!
The awareness that you develop automatically with Ayurveda benefits your family in one way or another. With your choice of food, for example, when shopping, paying attention to regionality and sustainability, and informing your children that food does something to their well-being and health. In turn, they grow up knowing that certain foods, for example, have healing powers that can help them get healthy, and others that block the health process.
Sleep regularly, eat regularly, cultivate rituals
Regular daily routines and rituals are also very important in Ayurveda. If you live this regularity yourself, it is automatically transferred to the family. A regular daily rhythm creates familiarity and stability within and this in turn helps to keep the bioenergies in balance. Because sleep is incredibly important in Ayurveda due to the regeneration process, this should be regulated with fixed times for the children. The beauty of it is that this rule also applies to you. So you are setting an example for your child that is good for him. Food should also be eaten at regular times. Three main meals and, if necessary, two small snacks are recommended. At least one meal should be prepared warm and the child should only eat until it is full. In this way, the child learns to trust its intuitive feeling of fullness.
Conscious quality time with your family
Healthy rituals that are cultivated by all family members are nice anchors that give the child security. This can be a few hours without the mobile phone, a family walk or even a certain evening in the week that only belongs to the family. Another tip would be a short yoga session together. See the blog on children's yoga. A conscious culture of conversation, in which adults can apologise for their outbursts or in which things are talked about openly, also contributes to a healthy atmosphere.
Of course, you can supplement your children's development and growth with Ayurvedic food. In this phase, Kapha dosha generally predominates, which is why children often feel an urge for sweets. Foods such as carrots, sweet potatoes or sweet, ripe fruit can satisfy this urge in a healthy way. However, it is much more important that the children eat a balanced diet, that all food is fresh and that it is enjoyed in a relaxed atmosphere.
You see, it is not necessarily about serving all the doshas, but about what you can give your family with Ayurveda without becoming dogmatic. In other words, living Ayurveda also means that you should enjoy it. Because the mood and intention you have while cooking has a very big influence on the quality of the food. Your children will taste, feel and absorb your love for their well-being. By the way, you can find tips on delicious recipes and Ayurvedic nutrition in our blog.
