Habits are formed in our children, even without trying.  What ever we do on a regular basis has potential for becoming a “habit” or legacy.  For example, we juice and or make a smoothie with herbs, every day.  Yep, everyday! When I first started this journey of juicing, it was hard to get over the work involved, cutting the veggies and fruit, cleaning the machine, and then there was the grocery bill (out the roof with organic yummies).  But as we stuck with it, it just became part of our way of life, part of our schedule.  It became a habit.  Will my children do it when they grow up?  Probably some of them, its hard to see now.  

For some, eating fast food on a daily basis can be the habit.  Others, might only make everything from scratch.  Which ever applies to you, we all need to be aware that we are teaching our children by our example, what is acceptable and what attitudes towards food are acceptable.  

We all need to be careful not to allow our dietary philosophies and conviction to become an idol.  God warns us, in his good book against having idols and against disputing over things such as food, because it is not an eternal issue.  Our diet should never prevent us from fellowship with others.  When we teach our children we can only eat a certain way, and cater to that diet, they never learn how to be gracious and polite about “trying” and eating someone else’s food… its a simple way to teach your child about having respect.  

For example, we have a few kiddos with food intolerances, some more severe than others.  There was a time when we needed to detox, so I was pretty strict about their diets, but within that time I also found how difficult it was to have fellowship (over meals) with people.  Our commitment is to God, and to living healthy to treat our bodies as holy temples, so we can serve Him more actively.  

As parents the habits we are teaching our children in regards to food can create idols, even for them, so we need to be on guard.  We don’t want to leave a legacy of idols, do we.  On the other hand, how we feed our children also creates healthy eating habits or well no awareness.  When we don’t teach awareness, and we may not even be eating unhealthy, really… that as well can lead to unhealthy habits.