While many adults turn to healthier lifestyles later in life, Grace has been eating this way from the start.
Shan Cooper garnered widespread attention for feeding her infant daughter, Grace, a paleo diet. Now eight years old, Grace has been raised on a diet rich in fresh produce, eggs, meat, and devoid of processed sugar. Shan shares her healthy recipes on her blog, ‘My Food Religion,’ emphasizing ingredients that are minimally processed.
The Baby Without Refined Sugar
By the time she was 13 months old, Grace’s diet included breast milk, eggs fried in coconut oil, broccoli, potatoes, sweet potatoes, carrots, roast chicken, avocado, sauerkraut, fruit, and organic beef, all without refined sugar. For her first birthday, instead of a typical sugary dessert, Shan made her strawberry panna cotta with coconut cream.
In 2015, Shan noted that Grace had only been sick once, attributing her robust immunity to her nutrient-dense diet. “She’s around other kids who are constantly sick, with snotty noses, coughs, and colds, but she doesn’t catch it,” Shan remarked. “It’s not because I shield her from these germs. I believe a nutrient-dense diet gives her a strong immune system.”
Shan herself adopted the paleo diet to alleviate her food allergies, cutting out gluten, dairy, and processed foods. “I was tired of feeling unwell,” she explained. “I decided that wasn’t going to be my normal anymore.”
The paleo diet, inspired by the presumed diet of Paleolithic humans, focuses on lean meats, fish, fruits, vegetables, seeds, and nuts, while excluding refined sugars, grains, legumes, dairy, and processed foods. Despite its popularity, some experts express concerns about the diet’s exclusion of grains and legumes, which are rich in fiber, vitamins, and nutrients, as well as dairy, a source of calcium and protein. Critics also argue that the diet oversimplifies ancient eating habits, noting that early human diets varied by geography and included grains long before the advent of farming.
Shan’s Balanced Approach
Though Shan follows a general paleo diet, she is flexible. As she writes on her blog, “I am not vegan, vegetarian, paleo, gluten-free, dairy-free, fat-free, carb-free, or any other food ‘denomination’ entirely. I take what I like from different food approaches and adapt it to what makes me feel good.”
Preparing food from scratch daily requires significant time and effort, but Shan is not strict about Grace adhering to the diet. “What she eats isn’t weird or strange. It’s food that normal people eat, and she loves it. I don’t give her toast or cereal, but I don’t think those things will harm her. If she eats a piece of bread, I’m not going to panic.”
Shan anticipated that Grace would attend birthday parties with sugary treats. “I’m not going to stop her from going to kids’ parties and eating what’s there,” Shan said. “I won’t pack her kale instead.”
Shan believes children are naturally intuitive eaters and plans to nurture that intuition as Grace grows. “She’ll learn what makes her feel good and what doesn’t, often through trial and error. She might overindulge in sweets and feel unwell, then eat less next time.”
Fostering a Healthy Relationship with Food
Shan aims to prevent disordered eating, a common issue among women. “I want Grace to eat what makes her feel good. That’s why I eat this way. A piece of bread won’t kill me. When I go out with friends, I eat what’s on the menu. I’m not rigid about it. Grace will also learn to recognize how different foods affect her.”
Today, Grace is eight years old, and Shan excels at finding healthy alternatives to common junk foods. When asked on Instagram if Grace ever wants to try sweets like candy, Shan responded, “Absolutely. She’s had candy at kids’ parties.”
Shan emphasizes that having a good relationship with food includes the freedom to enjoy occasional treats. It’s about balancing satisfaction and nourishment with awareness of what makes one feel good.