Right or wrong, my husband and I started serving apple juice to our two oldest kiddos when they were toddlers.  I don’t remember intentionally making a decision to do so, but I know it started with those cute little Gerber baby apple juice bottles.

You know the ones?

It was innocent enough at first.  We’d pick up a four-pack at Target, here and there, as an occasional treat.  We always cut the juice with water, so it felt like a good way to keep the kids hydrated.  That was a time before organics were easily available though, so it meant we were serving a constant source of glyphosate to their little bodies.

Sigh.

Of course, we had no idea at the time about how damaging glyphosate can be.  And that innocent apple juice treat inadvertently turned into a seriously regretful situation …

Our kids wouldn’t drink water!

In fact, I remember sending my oldest to kindergarten (before we homeschooled) and being worried about the strict guidelines that students be sent with only water.  I knew my daughter wouldn’t drink water, so I sneaked apple juice in her Camelbak, for peace of mind.  I didn’t want her to be dehydrated all day!

Fast forward several years and a few more kids, and we had inadvertently created an apple juice addiction.  Even though we had eventually switched to organic juice, we were becoming more aware of how much sugar negatively impacts health.  We knew we needed to overcome the apple juice and switch to water.

Being concerned about a mutiny if we suggested quitting cold turkey, my husband and I decided on a more connected approach with very slow, gentle, intentional changes.

Here’s how we made the switch to water:

1. We talked. My husband and I first explained that we were going to be making a change to be healthier, switching apple juice for water.  Wanting to be intentionally communicative and respectful with our kiddos, we told them we’d take it slow and that we’d always talk with them ahead of time before making a new change.  This was paramount to us, because we didn’t want them to feel blindsided in the transition.  The kids were not excited and there were plenty of grumbles, but my husband and I were committed to making this change for their health.
2. We cut back to one serving a day.  The first change we implemented was switching to just one serving of juice a day.  With the 16 oz Camelbak bottles we used at the time, that was really the equivalent of two cups (1 cup of juice cut with one cup of water).  To give them some power, we let them decide when they wanted their juice.  They almost always chose to have it served with breakfast, but they were 100% in control over that decision.  Once they drank that serving, the only option was water.  It took a little getting used to, but they eventually started drinking water after the juice was finished.  We stayed in this phase for a long, long (long) time.
3. We limited how much juice came into the house.  After more than a year, we started having conversations about limiting the amount of juice that would be bought at the grocery store.  We explained that we planned on buying two bottles a week, which was a change from having a constant supply on-demand.  When it was gone, it was gone until the next grocery run.  We casually talked about this next phase for several weeks before it was implemented.  When I poured juice for them, I’d gently remind them.  I wanted to ensure it was well known beforehand … no surprises!  Cutting back to two bottles wasn’t a big stretch, as they were only drinking a little more than that per week anyway.  We again stayed in this phase for quite awhile.  The kids slowly learned to seek out water when the juice ran out.
4. We limited even more.  After more time passed, we eventually switched to just one bottle a week.  Following the same protocol, we gave lots and lots of notice ahead of time.  This was a difficult transition because the juice ran out well before the week ended.  Slowly though, everyone adjusted and replaced their missing juice with water.  Again, we stayed in this phase for a long time.
5. We stopped buying.  After lots more time passed, we cut the juice all together.  Again, plenty of talk about it ahead of time ensured that everyone knew it was coming.  The kids weren’t happy about this last step, but they accepted it without much complaint.  It’s been years now, and everyone still happily drinks water.  Though we do buy sugary drinks occasionally, they’re for special situations or parties.  They’re simply not for everyday drinking.

Why am I sharing?

I regularly hear from moms who want to make healthy changes for their families but don’t know where to start.  I know it can feel overwhelming!  Especially when our kids are so vocal about their preferences for processed crap (sorry for the language, but it’s what it is) instead of nourishing food, it feels like such a battle.  My best advice is to take things very slowly and implement changes over time.  Though families may want to move a little faster than we did, the way my family overcame apple juice and switched to water can easily translate to any food product you want to ditch.

Though I know people have success with doing one big clean sweep of the fridge and pantry, I feel like it’s really difficult to stick with a bunch of new habits all at once.  My preference is to implement slow, gentle changes.  I have personally seen much more success creating sustainable longterm habits this way.  Plus, it’s more respectful to our kids instead of abruptly throwing out their favorites.  That’s a lot for them to handle and it will likely make them resentful anyway.  Sharing power and giving them some say in the implementation can go a long way, too.

Many of us parents (me included!) have created unintended consequences with food choices for our families, but we can make positive changes and overcome the not-so-healthy ones.  One step at a time.