Here it is Shauna:

My 3 kids ranged in age from about 9 to 18 when we began eating in the Zone (15 years ago). We didn't have them measure specific amounts, but showed them how to mix and match protein and carb in appropriate quantities by sight, and to always add fat like a small handful of nuts or a small spoonful of oil to a meal, less to a snack. My son was the youngest (a yr or so younger than your daughter is now, so I'll focus on him) and even he picked up on it easily. To help them to make better choices at first, I did not resupply the foods that weren't Zone favorable, as we ran out of them. Instead, I replaced them with their favorite foods from the best choices on the Zone Food Blocks list. My son loved coming home from school and eating snacks like chicken with salsa and a few corn chips, leftover Zoned chili, leftover stir-fry, or a salad (he became a huge fan of salads of all kinds, and still is). I'd pack him a lunch of Zone friendly foods, usually giving him some input as to choices (my two older kids packed their own). If the school lunch was something he really wanted, I'd let him get it now and then. Eventually he didn't want it anymore. Kids can tell the difference, just like we adults can. When you eat only good fresh food all the time, the typical school lunch becomes quite unappetizing after a while. We didn't get rigid about it, none of the "You have to do this” kind of attitude. We simply kept the "bad” stuff out of the house. With mostly Zone favorable foods they liked being the only choices in the kitchen, they got creative (we all did) and discovered all kinds of favorite combinations. We didn't rely on the standard Zone string cheese and fruit snack, or the cottage cheese and fruit snacks either, though they would also be good choices. A tip, take care not to make cheese a habit multiple times a day. It doesn't contain the best fat. Also, we didn’t have any rules about eating out or at friend's houses. Everything was fair game. But, just as with the school lunches, he gravitated to the more Zone friendly combinations. With 10 yr olds, bottom line is, if you don't buy it, they're not going to have the choice to eat it at home. Other kids definitely noticed how he was eating a bit differently. They'd ask him why he didn't eat certain things, and he'd tell it was because they weren’t good for people to eat.

Wow, I’ve been running on here, but you get the idea. Good luck! :-)




Here’s another one I found:

Your son will take cues from you. Even though it might not seem so with a 13 yr old, he's still young enough for your habits to greatly influence his eating choices. Providing only Zone favorable choices and Zone favorable meals will make a huge difference. It's going to be very hard for him to over eat those foods. Eventually the eating changes at home it will also change the choices he makes when he's not at home. Kids notice, just like adults do, how yucky they feel with some foods and how good they feel when they eat in the Zone. My tip would be not to place a lot of focus on the fact the whole family's changing their eating habits and eating in the Zone. Just keep it low key, even if it might be very different from the usual way of eating at your house. Treating the changes as matter-of-fact, not a huge deal, will go far to diffuse any oppositional behavior he might display toward it.

Thanks Sue for your tips and advice. The forum has been helpful.

We decided as a family to try the Zone diet together. I read my first book and I thought this was so doable and no "weird" foods to try and make everyone eat. Maybe I'm naive but I thought I could have faith in my family to follow along with this as much as me. I have three kids 17,14, and 9. I gave them the food lists to pick out what fruits and veggies they knew they would eat for when I went grocery shopping. It was almost grocery day and we didn't have that much undesirable stuff left so I thought it would be pretty easy to get started. We've been on the plan for 2 weeks now. The first day went fine no problems but when the second day came that's when everything started falling apart. My girls said it was too difficult to make the breakfast and lunches, my son didn't like the dinner, my husband complained there wasn't enough to eat yada yada yada and they continue to complain about something every day. I had to compromise and I told my girls they had to eat two meals and both snacks in the Zone, I told my son he could get school lunch every Wednesday ( it's yogurt/pretzel and carrots with cookie day) and I let him eat slightly more than the 1 block snack, and my husband is a lost cause. He's a meat and potatoes guy and doesn't want to understand the Zone concept. He told me today he can't go grocery shopping with me anymore because it's too upsetting. I just got Toxic Fat and I want to try the 28 day meal plan and see how that goes. Today is day 1 again and so far so good. Other than the drink issue which I stated in another post, everyone said they did ok. I'll keep my fingers crossed but I'm not sure.

I knew it couldn't last. I suggested that my girls start the night before getting their breakfast and lunches made up so they weren't crunched for time in the morning, that worked for a day. Today they got up late and didn't feel like making the breakfast listed. When I asked what they ate for lunch at school, they told me they got cheese fries, PB&J, and Arizona Tea from the cafeteria even though I had packed their lunches the night before. I didn't even know they had money. It's an uphill battle when the schools don't even have healthy items for the students to choose from. The only "healthy" items at the high school for them to pick from are premade salads that my girls say look brown and wilted, and fruit- bananas/apples/oranges. This has been a real problem here. If I were a teenager, and all my friends were eating pizza and cheese fries for lunch, I'd probably "forget" a nutritious packed lunch from home too.

Hi Sahunna! Try not to waste any time thinking about what they eat when they're not at home. Focusing on having only the best foods available at home will take you all in a good direction. Teenagers are greatly influenced by the choices of their parents, even though they usually won't admit ot or show it. They may not even realize it, but it's true. Try to remember that while the Zone is your passion at the moment, it might not be theirs. If you persevere at giving them the opportunity to eat more healthy foods at home, without making it an confrontational issue, and it will most likely be a change that stays with them. Hang in there. :-)

Hi Shaunna -- I have a 12 and 14 year-old, and I'm in the same situation as you are :-) . I've been following Sue's advice with healthy options home, and then letting them make their own choices at lunch. I do ask them (occasionally, not as a "daily inquisition") "what was for lunch today?" This way, they have in the back of their minds that Mom's going to be asking, and maybe (just maybe) they'll make a better choice :-) . It's a slow road, but with most things, the more gradual the change, the more lasting it will be (at least that's what I keep telling myself LOL!)

Laurie