Eating habits are learned behaviors, so what your
children learn to eat at home early in life sticks
with them well into adulthood. Today we are disconnected
from our food sources in a way that is unprecedented
in human history. Fewer Americans cook meals from
scratch often because of time and money. The good
news is that there are things you can do to help
your kids eat more healthy foods and get more healthy
foods into schools.
1. Be a good role model.
Most of the parents we know complain that their
children refuse to eat healthfully and come to
us in search of magic recipes that will put an
end to mealtime madness. But most of us are so
accustomed to eating out, grabbing a fast food
something or other on a lunch break, and buying
prepared foods in the grocery store that we don’t
even know what good food is anymore. In order to
be good role models we must educate ourselves first
and then practice what we preach.
2. Take your kids shopping with
you.
We don’t all live near farms or farmer’s markets,
so it’s not easy for us or our children to feel
a connection with good, whole, unprocessed foods.
One way to help them learn is to make a point to
take them grocery shopping with you. Take them
when you’re not in a hurry and spend talking about
unprocessed foods—the produce, meat, and fish departments,
for example. Take home a fruit or vegetable that
your child expresses interest in and let him try
it so he can make his own decisions.
3. Make mealtime special.
There are lots of fun things we can do to make
mealtime special. First and foremost, sit down
and enjoy your food. Take time to savor flavors.
Children should never eat while walking around.
We understand that some young children have difficulty
sitting for the entire meal. In those cases we
recommend allowing the child to get up once or
twice, while encouraging the child to sit, not
stand, at the table when he or she comes back to
eat. For children who are able to understand, explain
to them that mealtimes are special family times
and it is important to the family that everyone
sits down to eat and talk together. Make a ritual
out of dinner and give everyone a special task—maybe
even let each child have one night a week to plan
and help make dinner. Have the kids set the table.
Cloth napkins and real glasses set a more formal
tone and are better for the environment. Candles
can set a calming tone for the meal and show kids
that mealtime is special.
4. Don’t be a short order cook.
Ever find yourself making one meal for the adults
in the house and another for the kids (or even
one for each kid)? Children take their time warming
up to new things and if you keep giving them the
old stand-bys they’re not going to branch out and
explore new foods. Be patient. Most research
says that it takes an average of 10 to 12 times
before a child will try a new food unless they
are involved in cooking and gardening projects.
Learning about food and cooking in an active way
helps breed a sense of culinary adventure. Make
the same dinner for everyone in the family while
taking some time to put some foods on the plate
that your children like, then add something new.
If they don’t touch it don’t worry about it and
definitely don’t make an argument out of it. Try
again the next week and again the following week.
Eventually they’ll surprise you by at least tasting
that new food.
5. Don’t buy into marketing for
kids.
Kids don’t need frozen chicken nuggets, French
fries, macaroni and cheese, and pizza to keep them
happy. And those kinds of foods certainly don’t
make for healthy children. Avoid preprocessed foods
at all costs and start talking to your children
early in their lives about what constitutes a good
diet and why it’s important for them to avoid foods
like the ones mentioned above. Even a three year
old can grasp why sodas aren’t good for you and
why we don’t eat foods with lots of fat every meal.
Highly processed foods are loaded with chemicals,
synthetic fats, additives, artificial sweeteners,
and food colorings. Kids love brightly colored
foods because advertising (kids see 10,000 commercials
a year!) trains them to believe that those foods
are kid foods.
6. Don’t use food as rewards, bribes,
or punishments.
Okay, okay, we know. M&Ms have a long history
as the greatest bribe candy on earth for potty
training—even the most health conscious mom will
break down and try M&Ms during that oh-so-critical
stage of development. Don’t give in! Stickers work
just as well and you won’t be setting a precedent
for using food as a bribe or reward as your child
gets older. Sure, it’s okay to take the kids out
for ice cream or frozen yogurt after a good (or
even a bad) soccer game, just don’t use it as an
incentive for a good game. On the flip side, don’t
punish children for not eating certain foods—it
will only foster a negative relationship between
you and your children, not to mention your children
and food.
7. Let kids help in the kitchen.
Encourage your children to help out in the kitchen.
Invest in a stool or a child-height counter that
allows your children to see what you are doing
and even help out. If a child is interested
in doing more in the kitchen, don’t automatically
assume that she can’t or that the task will be
too dangerous. Know your child’s limits and help
her achieve success by providing support and encouragement
in a safe setting. Kids love eating food they created.
Involve your child in the cooking or snack preparation
and they will be more likely to eat new foods,
including fruits and vegetables.
8. Encourage your children to move
their bodies.
A good diet is only part of the equation. In order
to stay healthy our bodies need exercise. Studies
have shown that vigorous exercise boosts the immune
system and increases our ability to concentrate.
Help your children find physical activities they
enjoy and encourage them to get outside to play
as often as possible.
Identifying age-appropriate activities will make
exercise more fun. Every once in a while a family
hike makes a great change of pace for all ages. As
with eating, a parent’s good example can make the
difference for a child. Make sure exercise is a
part of your daily routine as well.
9. Remember that you are the boss.
Adults need to set the boundaries for kids because
left to their own devices they may choose salty
and sugary processed foods over fresh, healthier
choices. Children actually do much better when
they know that they have boundaries and limits.
Listen to your child, but set clear limits and
guide them towards the healthier option.
10. Love and accept your child
no matter what!
Love and accept your child at any weight, size
or shape. During childhood growth is unpredictable
at best. There’s a lot of pressure in our society
to be thin and you might be tempted to put your
child on a diet during a growth spurt, but that
won’t be helpful and may even cause emotional and
physical damage. Instead, help your child maintain
his weight until his height catches up. The best
way to do that is to teach good healthy eating
habits.
My Healthy Kids Meal
Wheel will help you and your kids identify
the most nutritional, good-tasting foods. I also
have recipes that offer ideas for a menu that
is grounded in whole foods and balanced among
whole grains, fresh fruits and vegetables, and
proteins.
