RSS
Home
Want healthy kids? Tips on getting them to eat healthy on their own.
Print
Email
RSS
Subscribe
.jpg)
Offer your kids healthy options and they'll choose them later
This is a saying we would all be wise to remember. As a parent, we have a huge impact on the habits our children develop. One of the most important areas we can influence them is in their eating habits; to help them develop healthy, lifelong eating patterns.
All children should have a diet consisting of mostly healthy foods with sweets and processed foods kept to a minimum. Exactly the same type of diet we should all be following! But how do we instill in them the value of healthy eating, of establishing a lifelong lifestyle?
Healthy Eating by Example
Our family eats healthy foods which I hope will stay with my children as they grow and live on their own. They have been involved in growing organic fruit and vegetables as well as canning the excess for the remainder of the year. They eat dried fruit (and fruit roll ups), pure fruit jams and fruit juices made from what we grow. Since eating healthy is all they know, I am optimistic that they will continue living the same way.
That is not to say my children haven't gone through stages of being picky eaters. All kids do. Some kids only want a couple of bites, some don't want to try new foods, some won't eat a sandwich that is cut the "wrong way" and others can't eat if their food is touching!
Mine are no different. I have had to work through my share of food battles and have learned to work through them, over attempting to force feed them change. Take for example two of my personal battles:
Smashed Sweet Potatoes ONLY
My middle daughter developed her little "issue" while spending 5 days with her grandparents. My daughter only wanted "smashed sweet potatoes" the first night. Then she wanted it for lunch, followed by the same for dinner. Being Grandparents, they gave in and when we got home, she expected that to continue. After refusing to eat her lunch or dinner (as only a 4 year-old can) I figured I had better come up with a solution. I simply gave her a small serving of "smashed sweet potatoes" with the rest of her meal. She was satisfied with that as she was getting what she wanted while I was satisfied as she ate the rest of her meal as well. It took about three weeks to get to the point where she ate everything but the sweet potatoes and that was the end of that.
While we were going through this, good meaning friends and family would tell me I should "stop it in the bud" and "don’t give in, she’ll eat when she’s hungry” but I really believe you need to pick your battles. With all the health problems associated with food (anorexia, bulimia etc.) I never want to use food as a punishment or as a reward
One Bite, Two Bites but Never More
My oldest has always been my stubborn one. While she would eat, it was always just a bite or two and then she’d push her plate away. I would offer her healthy food options throughout the day which also were given only a bite or two. Then, when she was three and a half, she discovered ranch dressing! Suddenly, she would eat any, and everything, put on front of her - if - she could have it with ranch dressing! I would mix low fat ranch dressing with an equal amount of plain yogurt and gave her some with her meals. This worked like a charm and to this day, this kid practices healthy eating: she will willingly munch of veggies for snacks, even without Ranch!
Healthy Eating by Offering Fun Options
Getting kids to eat a wide variety of healthy food at meals and snacks is always the goal. There are little ways to make them more desirable by making them into more kid-like. Some of my kids' favorites:
Ants on a log
Cut a celery stalk into thirds.
Fill the grooved area with a nut butter or egg salad
Place raisins or nuts along the top for the "ants"
Yummy Bunnies
Take a pear half and place it open side down on a salad plate (they are cute on a lettuce leaf)
On the narrow end, use two raisins for eyes and almond halves for the ears. You can also add a cherry for the nose.
On the other end, make the fluffy tail out of cottage cheese
100% fruit juice popsicles and fruit added sugar free jell-o wigglers are also good choices.
Special Sandwiches
Sandwiches are more fun when cut out in shapes by cookie cutters, which works for either whole sandwiches or open faced. For an extra treat, adapt the shape to the season or approaching holiday such as Christmas trees, spring flowers, Pumpkins or snowflakes.
Multi grain is always better than white - try them in bagels and tortillas. Alternatively, try nut breads - my kids love banana bread with peanut or almond butter. Pocket bread works great for chicken salad, tuna or egg salad
Healthy Eating by Teaching
As the parent; it is our responsibility to provide our children with a variety of healthy food choices. Children will continue to make healthy choices if they are brought up to do so. On the other hand, if they are allowed to eat pop tarts, donuts and sugary cereals for breakfast, they will continue to do so when they are the ones grocery shopping.
Help your kids eat right as adults by teaching them healthy choices now!
Related Articles:
Comments
