Entice Kids to Eat their Vegetables
or to Just Eat
http://www.eatinghabits.org/eating-diseases/toddler-not-eating.html
After reading this
blog, I was thinking, “Easier said than done, Allison.” I have been engaged in meal battles for a
couple of months now. She is a Toddler
and I do not by any means have the answer!
Just yesterday, in my desperation, I made a peanut butter and banana sandwich
and I was happy when she ate the entire thing.
My little one and I are going through so your prayers are
appreciated. I am always trying to get
her to eat-anything. I am frustrated because
I spend time, money, and energy trying to prepare home cooked meals that she
rejects, spits out, and cries out in protest against. It is a truly rare moment when meal time is
peaceful. If you have any other helpful
hints, I would appreciate you sharing them with us.
1. Take advantage of Farmer’s Markets to
get fresh, local fruits & vegetables
· This is the time of year that you can
really get your kids involved with selecting their food. Go to the Farmer’s Markets and allow them to touch,
smell, and taste vegetables. This is a
great time for them to ask vendors any questions they have about the food.
2. Allow Kids to help you cook
· Children as young as 3 yrs. old can
help mom or dad in the kitchen. Remember
to have food steamed or chopped ahead of time for small children and have them simply
add vegetables or fruits to dishes as needed.
Praise them when they do this so that they feel good about helping. Include
reading the recipe aloud together. You
could even go as far as retyping the recipe to include small pictures of the
fruits or vegetables so that the little ones know when to add their item to the
dish.
· For older children, have them help
you prepare their meals. They are more
likely to sample new food if they had a part in preparing the meal. I used to teach an extra class of Home Economics
with my middle school students. They
would get so excited about cooking something as simple as English muffin
pizza. To them, it was the best pizza
ever just because they made it.
3.
Sneak
fresh fruit and vegetables into their meals
· One of the best books I have read for
this topic is Deceptively Delicious by
Jessica Seinfeld. In the book she
teaches parents how to create fruit and vegetable purees. Then, parents are to include the purees into
the unsuspecting child’s meal. For
example, while cooking mom can slip in some carrot puree into the spaghetti
sauce. A little stirring and poof! There is a yummy meal that has an extra dose
of nutrition. This way a parent can
guarantee that their child is eating vegetables. This works for all types of purees. For example, a cauliflower puree can be
placed into mashed potatoes. At first, I
thought this was an unnecessary step until I experienced caring for a three
year old who refused to eat anything green on her plate!
· Now, the author does state that some vegetables
should always be added to a child’s plate because it is unrealistic for them to
grow up thinking that they do not have to eat any fruits or vegetables. It also introduces them to good eating
habits. However, when a child’s willful spirit kicks it and he claims, “I hate
peas!” you can say, “Yes, dear,” and smile because he already is eating them
and doesn’t know it.
· Many parents draw the invisible battle line
when it comes to this topic. Children
end up being punished or forced to sit at a table until they finish their
vegetables, play time is taken away, and children cry. Meanwhile, the food is
dropping out of their mouths as they scream in protest. I have even experienced a child clamping her
mouth shut without ever opening it for the entre meal! No amount of coaxing or
threats I said convinced her to open her mouth. Just imagine peace being restored
at the dinner table!
4.
Plant
a Garden
· This is definitely not for me. I have never done this in my life, but plenty
of people including my friends have. Ask
your friends or relatives to help you.
Check out some books or research what to plant, the best time to plant
certain vegetables and how to go about it.
Make sure to include your children every step of the way. I am sure they will appreciate all the work
it took to grow the food that is on their plate. My friend’s son loves that his mother grows
peppers, tomatoes, and cucumbers
5. Set a Good Example
· When Jennifer Hudson first started
doing interviews to discuss her weight loss, one of the reasons she said that
she lost the weight was because she wanted to be an example to her son. I thought that was a bit premature because he
was just a small baby. Now, I understand.
My baby is starting to eat solid foods now and wants to try everything
on my plate. This made me more aware of
what I am eating. I want her to be able
to sample food without me shooing her off because I am eating something
unhealthy. I also am motivated to live a
healthier lifestyle because I do not want her growing up not knowing how to eat
healthy. We are our children’s first
teachers.
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