The other day I watched a TV commercial promoting a nutritional supplement drink. It starred a mom pushing it for her daughter, who wouldn’t “touch anything green”.
Those sorts of comments always stop me in my tracks. Is it optional for our kids to eat the healthy foods their bodies need? Is it a good habit to sneak nutrients into their meals? How far should we as moms go to make sure they eat what’s healthy for their growth and development?
I know and understand the dangers behind making kids eat everything on their plate. Creating a power struggle or negative feelings about food can lead to all sorts of eating disorders and problems. But I also know that most people — especially kids — have to see, smell and taste a new food multiple times before they are comfortable with it.
We have a “try bite” at our house. The kids need to at least try one bite of everything on their plate. If they don’t like it, fine – they can be done.
But in my experience, they’ll eventually learn to enjoy foods this way. Sure, some kids are born more adventurous eaters, but all can learn to be “good” eaters. We have to be persistent, though. I want my kids to know they’re eating healthy foods, because that helps them develop habits they will use throughout their life.
I am starting to see the persistence pay off. Just last night, our 8 year old actually chose a fruit cup to go with his burger over French fries. Baby steps!
Please comment and share:
How do you handle new foods at your family meals?
Do you agree or disagree with my view on not “hiding” nutrition? Just for fun — how do you think your kids would answer that question?
Stacey Seybold Hiller juggles much and still holds it together. Mom to four kids ages 8 – 15, she owns Dream Dinners in Indianapolis, IN. She has also been a pediatric speech language pathologist for 24 years and speaks nationally on the topic. Stacey blogs about family communication, eating, parenting and more.
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- Devise a healthy snack list with your child. Post on the refrigerator.
- Teach your child to cook.
- Involve your child at the supermarket by assigning a list of nutritious foods to find.
- Start each day with a nutritious breakfast. Not only will your child pay attention at school, breakfast plays a role in healthy weight regulation.
- Encourage your child to play outside whenever feasible. Adults can play too! You’re it!
- On the weekend, live life instead of watching it on TV. Find a new place to hike, bike, cross-country ski or run.
- Find an indoor swim center that you can use all year long.
- Discuss food advertising with your child. Write letters to the advertisers that inundate children’s programming with low-nutrition food and beverages ads.
- Teach your child how to read and understand the information on food labels.
- Be a role model! Show your child how much you enjoy nutritious foods and fun, physical activity.
by Connie Evers, MS, RD
Connie Evers MS, RD, is a specialist in children’s health and nutrition education and the author of “How to Teach Nutrition to Kids”, a book which is used in thousands of schools throughout the world as a framework for nutrition education. She also is author of “Feeding Kids” newsletter.
We have obtained permission to reprint this list. If you would like to share or post this list on your site please contact Connie Liakos Evers at reprint@nutritionforkids.com for details and rates.- Eat more meals together. Kids who eat family meals are better nourished, do better in school, and even get into less trouble!
- Overhaul your kitchen. Take a close look at pantry shelves, cupboards, the refrigerator and the freezer. Do you see mostly high calorie, low nutrition easy-grab foods or are there plenty of nutritious choices? Can you look around your kitchen and easily find the ingredients for four or five healthful meals? Make a list of staple ingredients needed to stock a healthful kitchen and head to the store.
- Not every activity needs to be fueled by food. Eat at home before heading off to a movie, sporting event or amusement park.
- Make better choices when eating out. Start by saying “no” to super-sized portions.
- Avoid telling your child to “take one more bite” or “clean your plate.”
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Be the sports parent who speaks up about the “treats” typically served after games and practice. Offer to put together a list of nutritious snack and beverage choices. - Limit access to sweetened drinks. When thirsty, drink water.
- Teach your child about agriculture by visiting local farms and farmer’s markets. Choose locally grown produce when available. Plant a vegetable garden with your child.
- For short errands, walk or bike with your child.
- Limit total “screen time” (video games, computer, TV, etc) to a maximum of 2 hours daily.
by Connie Evers, MS, RD
Connie Evers MS, RD, is a specialist in children’s health and nutrition education and the author of “How to Teach Nutrition to Kids”, a book which is used in thousands of schools throughout the world as a framework for nutrition education. She also is author of “Feeding Kids” newsletter.
We have obtained permission to reprint this list. If you would like to share or post this list on your site please contact Connie Liakos Evers at reprint@nutritionforkids.com for details and rates.Despite being a root vegetable, turnips are actually related to broccoli, brussel sprouts, cabbage and the mustards.
I like to pluck one out of the ground, wash it off with the garden hose and take a crisp, sweet, peppery bite right then and there. Turnips and their greens are high in Vitamin C.
To learn more about eating well and living the good life, visit www.beekman1802.com
From Stacey Seybold Hiller, M.S.,CCC-SLP, Pediatric Speech Language Pathologist and Owner, Dream Dinners of Indianapolis, IN.
As parents, one of our most crucial responsibilities is to create independent adults. Too often however, we leave some of the most fundamental teachings until the very last minute. For example, how old should a child be when they start to learn how to do the laundry, or cook a simple meal? Children as young as 8 or 10 years old can learn all the basics needed to cook the family meal. Begin by asking them to help you prepare a meal once a week or so. Let them become familiar with the language and equipment of cooking. Teach them the safety basics. Once they have developed a competency with these skills, have them help you actually plan the meal from the very beginning.
- What should we have?
- Is this a healthy mix of foods?
- What do we need to purchase at the store?
- How much of each ingredient do we need?
After your child has completed these tasks with you, they are ready to start on their own! Have them plan one or two meals a month for the family. It may not be gourmet, but the sense of satisfaction and pride that your child enjoys will be better than any five-star meal. An even simpler method is to include them in meal assembly at Dream Dinners, then let them pick out and cook the meals at home. By the time they are ready to live on their own, cooking will be second nature, and be one less “new” skill they will have to learn during that transition period.
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Stacey Seybold Hiller, M.S., CCC-SLP is an industry expert in speech, language and feeding skills in children.
It’s time for a new year… time to start your family eating healthy! A few small changes now can make a big difference in the years ahead!
If you are like most people, after the holidays are over, you start to rethink your diet and exercise (or lack thereof). It is harder than ever to keep your children eating healthy. Many foods marketed for children are high in sugar and fat and low in fiber and protein. Even many choices for kids at restaurants and schools fit into this category. The worst culprit is processed foods. These foods tend to be high in fat, sodium, and calories. But, how can you get your family eating better? Try to have more home-cooked meals. Easier said than done, but you have many options now.
There are many meal preparation businesses, like Dream Dinners, that are out there to help you do just that. You can help your kids make good snacking choices by having cut vegetables and fruit available on the counter. Make these choices easily accessible and convenient to them. Go ahead and add peanut butter or cream cheese to the celery. Put broccoli in the food processor, and add the finely chopped broccoli to food items like meatloaf or hamburgers. Most children won’t even notice. Other “sneaky” add-ins are wheat germ (for fiber and protein), powdered milk (for added calcium), and tofu. These products can all be added fairly easily to a variety of foods, and they are not easily detected.
Eating healthy is really a lifelong process, not just something you do overnight. Begin to slowly implement products like breads and pastas with whole grains into your family’s diet. Any healthy diet change you can bring to your family will be beneficial!
Stacey Seybold Hiller has practiced pediatric speech pathology for more than 18 years. Both she and her husband felt they were ready for a career change, so they recently opened Dream Dinners in Indianapolis with a partner. Now she can further her passion for healthy family meals around the table at home!
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Recently, Dream Dinners scored big with Metropolitan Mama, one of the top rated blogs on the Web. We made blogger Stephanie Sheaffer’s end-of-the-year Best of 2009 List!
Turns out, Stephanie went to Dream Dinners exactly one week before giving birth to her second daughter. “It ended up being one of the best things that I did to ‘prepare’ for my baby’s arrival,” she writes. “Spending a few hours preparing meals without having to grocery shop, chop onions, think up meal ideas, etc. were absolutely priceless.”
Thanks for the kudos, Stephanie!
Did Dream Dinners help you when you had a brand-new babe? We’d love to hear your story; leave a comment!
Radishes were the first “crop” I ever grew. My grandfather bought me a pack of seeds when I was 7 years old, and even in the red-clay soil of piedmont North Carolina, I had a thrilling bumper crop.
Despite that early introduction, my perception of radishes was like that of most people, the thin tasteless slices that you find on a salad bar. That was until my summer in Provence. That summer awakened me to a lot of culinary treats—figs plucked directly off the tree, fresh-pressed olive oil, and raw radishes served with butter and sea salt.
I’ve been in love ever since (Provence can do that to you.)
Radishes are high in Vitamin C and contain phytochemicals like bioflavonoids and indoles that may prevent cancer. An excellent snack if you are craving something crunchy and salty.
To learn more about eating well and living the good life, visit www.beekman1802.com
Breakfast is mostly a cold-cereal affair at my house, especially during the weekdays. I wish it weren’t so! But my kids are old enough to be self-sufficient, so while they’re getting ready for school, I’m prepping for work. Tossing a box of something-or-other on the kitchen table with a jug of milk is about as fancy as I get.
So when I made homemade waffles last week, the kids were stunned. And then, stuffed! For once, I felt like the “good mom” I know I can be. (Wait—Bisquick does count as homemade, right?)
So, I have a plan. Get something fast, easy and healthy – that’s not cold cereal – on the breakfast table more often. I dredged through my rusty repertoire and came up with these ideas.
Healthy but still fast breakfasts:
- Top frozen whole-wheat waffles with 2 tablespoons of peanut butter and a sprinkling of raisins. Faster than my “homemade,” this version also has more protein and less sugary syrup.
- Fruit smoothies always get a thumbs-up; just dump milk, yogurt and frozen fruit in a blender and let ‘er rip. My son’s crazy about banana smoothies with a dollop of peanut butter added to the mix. Experiment to find your family’s faves.
- Doctor up microwaveable oatmeal with a little ground flax seed and some chopped walnuts or almonds. (The flax seed tastes sort of nutty and is really healthy. They’ll never suspect.)
- Try whole wheat crackers with string cheese for breakfast – unconventional but still good.
- Slice up an apple, banana or orange and eat with a handful of almonds. The sugar in the fruit delivers fast energy while the almonds provide fiber and protein.
- A quick scramble of eggs and cheese can be easily wrapped up in a tortilla for on-the-go goodness.
Give these tips a try and see how it goes at your place. Have a few of your own breakfast recipes to add? We’d love to hear.
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The lovely ladies of Sassy Scoops, a website that blogs about Utah’s “tempting treats and fabulous finds,” recently checked out Orem Dream Dinners. We’re happy (but not surprised!) to report that their experience was fabulous.
The Sassy Scoops preview introduces readers to the idea of Dream Dinners, the review gets votes from some “Sassies” on their experiences, and Friday follow-up shares how it all came together for one mom of picky eaters, Carina. (In her words, “I have a houseful of whiny picky eaters who will cry if an artichoke heart comes within five miles of my home.”)
Read about Carina in the Friday follow-up post, which begins:
I’ve seen Dream Dinners while I was driving around town and I always wondered how it worked. When Danielle and Jean invited me to come in, I couldn’t help but say yes.
We were invited to assemble three meals and live the life of a Dream Dinners client for one week. The store had a bunch of stainless steel stations set up with the ingredients for a particular meal. You simply make an appointment and come in to assemble the number of meals you want. I’d recommend going with a few friends because it’s actually fun to assemble meals together.
Be sure to see Sassy Scoops Dream Dinner Preview and Sassy Scoops Dream Dinner Review, too. And many thanks to the Sassies themselves!
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