Raising Strong, Healthy Kids with Real Food
When I read about this new trend of parents raising “carnivore kids,” I can’t help but think how much I wish I had done the same. Back when my children were babies, I thought I was feeding them what was best. Rice cereal as a “first food” was considered the gold standard. Looking back now, what a mistake that was. Babies need nutrient-dense foods to thrive. Eggs, meat, liver, and butter are some of the best foods a growing body can have.
It’s fascinating to me that humans are born in a state of ketosis, yet somehow feeding babies fat and protein is seen as controversial. If babies naturally come into this world burning fat for fuel, how can those foods possibly be bad? The truth is, nature knows best. Our bodies are designed to run on nutrient-rich whole foods, not boxes of powdered cereal.
As the mother of two, I can’t help but look back on what I fed my kids and shake my head. I thought I was making healthy choices, but much of it was based on the nutrition advice of the time. I also think back to when I was growing up. We didn’t have the shelves of junk food that line today’s grocery stores. Every meal was cooked at home. School lunches were full meals prepared in the school kitchen. There was meat, vegetables, potatoes, soups, stews, and fresh bread. It was never pizza, hot dogs, muffins, or fruit juice passed off as a healthy option.
Food wasn’t entertainment. It was nourishment.
Why Do We Force Carbs on Babies?
This is the question we should all be asking. Why do we insist on giving babies rice cereal, crackers, and sugary snacks when what they need most is fat and protein? The brain is made up of nearly 60 percent fat, and fat is essential for brain development. Yet from the very beginning, we push carbohydrates, which simply turn into sugar in the body.
When sugar becomes the primary fuel, problems begin. We see it clearly in schools. Children eat lunches loaded with refined carbs, processed snacks, and sweetened drinks. Then we wonder why they can’t sit still, why their attention span is short, why they struggle to learn, and why so many are prescribed medications to manage behavior. It is not the children who are failing, it is the food environment we are placing them in.
We must reexamine the way we feed our children if we want to give them a real chance to develop properly. The body and brain thrive on nutrient density, not empty calories.
Why This Matters Today
I use my own experience to educate my children now as adults, reminding them that their health depends on what they put on their plates. My goal in writing this is not to judge parents, but to inspire them to research and think critically about what their children are eating.
Because here is the heartbreaking truth: more and more young people are suffering from chronic illnesses that were rare just a generation or two ago. We see teenagers and young adults with obesity, diabetes, autoimmune conditions, and even cancers that are linked to seed oils, processed foods, and sugar. These foods are not neutral. They are actively harming our children, setting them up for a lifetime of struggle.
As one article pointed out, many parents now believe “meat, eggs, liver and butter provide babies with the best chance to thrive” and are swapping puréed fruit for rib-eye or sardines instead【WSJ, Aug 12, 2025】. Another article explained that some parents credit this way of feeding with “better sleep and improved moods,” while experts still debate its safety【Fox News, Aug 18, 2025】. Regardless of the controversy, these parents are asking the right question: what foods actually nourish a child’s developing body?
Nutrient Density Is the Answer
What babies and kids really need is nutrient density. Meat, eggs, butter, fish, and organ meats are packed with the vitamins and minerals that fuel growth, repair, and brain development. A single egg yolk has more nutrition than a bowl of rice cereal ever could. A piece of steak provides iron and B vitamins that are critical for energy and cognition. Bone broth delivers minerals in a form the body can actually use.
Feeding children nutrient-dense foods is not extreme. It is a return to the way humans have always eaten.
A Call to Parents
If you are a parent of young kids today, you have the opportunity to make choices that will truly change the course of your child’s health. You don’t have to follow every trend or jump into extremes, but you can begin by asking simple questions: Does this food nourish my child? Does it provide the vitamins, minerals, fats, and proteins their body needs to grow strong? Or is it just a quick, processed filler with clever marketing?
We owe it to our kids to think deeply about these choices. Food is not just about calories. Food is information, and every bite tells the body what to do. Let’s give our children the kind of information their bodies are begging for: real, whole, nutrient-dense food.
Sources
“Meet the Parents Raising ‘Carnivore Babies,’ Swapping Puréed Fruit for Rib-Eye.” Wall Street Journal, Aug 12, 2025.
“Doctors divided over new diet trend that has babies licking butter and gumming ribeye steak.” Fox News, Aug 18, 2025.
“The rise of ‘carnivore babies’—and the real risks parents need to know.” Motherly, Aug 22, 2025.
This content is never meant to serve as medical advice.
In crafting this blog post, I aimed to encapsulate the essence of research findings while presenting the information in a reader-friendly format that promotes critical thinking and informed decision-making.
