May 25, 2017
Raising Foodies
When I became a mom, I knew there would be certain sacrifices that would have to be made like a little less “me” time, maybe a few more loads of laundry to be done and a busier schedule. However, my love of good food and trying new things was not going to stop or even slow down now that there were little people in the picture. As soon as they were old enough, my kids were eating the same things my husband and I were eating and that was that. I was not going to break down and make them something different at each meal because I knew they would like it and eat it. Instead I incorporated a few key strategies to get them eating what we were eating and actually enjoying it! And these are the strategies I’d like to share with you.
Set a good example
Children are sponges. They are constantly soaking up every little thing and behaviours are just one of these many things. So when a child sees a parent eating something, they will undoubtably want to give it a try too. This is one of the greatest strategies in getting children to eat a variety of foods. Lead the way for them by setting a good example, eat a variety of good, healthy foods and they too will want to dig in.
Let them help out
When it comes to food prep, I’m not going to lie, I have a certain way of doing things and it is usually in a very tidy and orderly manner. Now, insert kids into the equation and all this structure goes down the drain, or in many cases onto the floor! However, there is something to be said about getting a little messy if it means including kids in the preparation process. Kids love to help, at least mine do, and when they are a part of making something, the chances of them eating it increases exponentially. Kids can chop, stir and measure and even add their own ideas for ingredients when it comes to making just about anything. So the next time you want to try a new recipe, get the kids in the game and you may be pleasantly surprised at the table when it’s time to eat.
Try not to classify foods
I have found that by classifying foods as healthy, or unhealthy or good for you or bad for you I get different responses when it comes time to actually eat. If I were to say “This casserole has broccoli in it, it’s so good for you” I might get a couple zoned out stares and broccoli left on the plate after dinner. So instead we talk more about how different foods make us feel and why we eat the foods that we do. I talk a lot about how foods give us energy to do the things we love like go for bike rides and play with our toys and help to keep us happy. So to rephrase the broccoli casserole “This casserole has lots of ingredients in it that give us energy to go for a fun bike ride after dinner.” That gets the forks moving, let me tell you.
No threats
“You must finish what’s on your plate before you leave this table!” This sound familiar to anyone? I’m sure it was never the intention of any parent to traumatize their kid by forcing them to eat, but it kind of does. When kids are pressured into doing something they don’t want to do they can form negative relationships with food. Instead, if there is a certain food that a child does not want to eat, don’t force them to eat it, instead try giving it to them at another meal, maybe prepared in a different way. As we all know, steaming broccoli and roasting it give it completely different tastes and textures so just try again. Also, children are quite good at regulating how much food they need and they may just genuinely be full when they say they are. What I typically do, if my kids don’t eat all of their dinner, is I save it for later when they ask me for a snack. They know this now and usually eat all of what’s on their plate the first time around.
Dealing with picky eaters is not easy. Try to lead by example and eat a variety of good foods so that your children can learn from the best.
