One of my big pet peeves is this THING parents and kids seem to have with dipping every flipping vegetable their children eat in ranch dressing. Many kids have never had veggies without it! Have you ever read a bottle of ranch dressing and actually LOOKED at what’s in it? Here’s a list of ingedients on the most popular brand of ranch dressing:

Soybean oil, water, egg yolk, sugar, salt, buttermilk, natural flavors (soy), spices and less than 1 percent of dried garlic, dried onion, vinegar, phosphoric acid, xanthan gum, modified food starch, monosodium glutamate, artificial flavors, disodium inosinate and disodium guanylate.

Notice that the most prevalent ingredient is soybean oil. Let me tell you, soy is NOT good for you or your children. Soy contains phytoestrogens which are plant based estrogens that mimic estrogen in your body. Estrogen dominance has been linked to breast cancer, endometriosis, uterine fibroids and infertility. Soy also suppresses your thyroid. Why is this bad? If your thyroid fails you gain weight, get colds more frequently and you have a more difficult time regulating your moods. Another reason soy is dangerous is that it is rich in trypsin inhibitors. Trypsin is a digestive enzyme which is crucial in digesting protein. Without enough of this enzyme you can experience diarrhea, bleeding and stomach cramps.

Children need to learn to love the taste of vegetables without adding a bunch of dangerous chemicals to them. What’s the point of giving kids veggies if they’re dripping in salad dressing or cheese sauce? Variety is the key here. Let your kids try a wide selection of vegetables until you find ones they enjoy eating. Also, it’s important to set a good example. If your children see you eating lots of vegetables they’ll be much more likely to eat  them as well.