Promoting Healthy Eating with My Kids

My 8 & 6 yo kids each get 2 dinner choices each week, then on the night I cook one of their choices they have the chance to help me in the kitchen - they always seem to gobble up those dinners. Two websites we like are HiddenValley.com and BettyCrocker.com - they have lots of meals w/ all the food groups in one dish and good pics to help the kiddos choose what looks good. Also, KraftFoods.com is good - they even have a picky eaters section. My 8yo watched Jamie Oliver w/ me and has started making some changes on her own ( no chocolate in her milk, no ranch with the carrots:) its a start!! Good Luck - changes food habits is hard, we all have such a connection to food don't we?!?!

You might try growing a vegetable garden, or if you don't have time for that (I know I don't) grow some vegetables in large pots and have her help grow them. It could be a special mommy daughter project. If she has a hand in growing them maybe she will be more likely to try them.

i agree with the sneaky chef except that the child has to be about 2-3 to not realize what you're sneaking in there. your daughter is old enough for you to sit with her and talk about healthy foods. and give her 3 veggies she can scratch off the list, and you give her a list of 3 must veggies. start like that. you don't cook the 3 veggies she does not want, and her part of the bargain is NOT to complain about the 3 veggies you will cook. choose 3 veggies a week or month.
i have allowed my two kids to choose one or two veggies that i am absolutely under no circumstance not allowed to cook (oh but i do, i just use them in dishes they don't recognize the veggie in).
as for gagging. well today i just broke that old wives tale. i have a child who used to gag, puke, cry at the look of zucchini. i haven't cooked zucchini in two years now because of the horror that my daughter would put herself through just by looking at them in a plate. well got zucchinis today and made a zucchini quiche and just called it: cucumber quiche. wouldn't you believe it, she ate two big slices of that quiche and kept saying: this cucumber quiche is the best thing ever. i am thinking wow, you really have no idea do you.
i steam my veggies most of the time and allow my children to choose a spice to put on top. that makes them feel as if they are doing it, or they're in charge. whatever works.
let me know if you want a few of my recipes for veggie dishes. this zucchini quiche was really awesome and easy to make.
i really think if you embrace the attitude: we will starve but i will not allow any junk food (not to the extreme, kids need some of that stuff too. i have nothing against dessert, or a piece of chocolate, or pudding. i just don't want my kids to think they're a part of life. they're not. they're a treat when i say they can have it). my kids don't know mcds but they get a slice of pizza here and there. all in moderation. and remember you make the rules. not the kids.

Well I'm sorry I don't have any advice to offer up since my kids have never been picky eaters. I'm sure all the awesome moms here will give you great advice.

However....High five to you in finding it so important to change your daughter's eating habits! It starts with you and from what I've read here that is what you are doing. Stop beating yourself up now, and know you are out to make a change!

You go Mom!!

Winners never quit and quitters never win!!! =-)

I haven't tried this, but have been wanting to. It's a cookbook called The Sneaky Chef... www.thesneakychef.com Just a thought. I am a texture eater. I can sympathize. The only veggies I eat are baked potatoes, salads (but only if the taste or texture is right that day) and corn. The only thing I ate growing up was corn. I don't eat any fruit...it's too grainy or seedy. Veggies literally taste like dirt to me at times, when I do try them. I don't eat hamburger or sausage because of the texture. Okay enough about me, just sympathizing, though. Another suggestion is allergies. Sounds odd, I know. I take my son to NAET (& would myself if I could afford to do two of us at once) & it's a homeopathic way of dealing with allergies. The reason I bring this up is because she has told me that sometimes when we don't like a texture or we crave something excessively, it can be a type of an allergic reaction, just one that we haven't been taught to recognize. The post (from MIMI) regarding healthy bodies crave healthy foods, is accurate, also. I know when my son goes backwards, once I get him off the junk and back on healthy eating he looks for healthy things to eat himself. The problem is you have to get the healthy food into her for her body to want it. What about fruit smoothies, even if you have to start out blending it with ice cream, at least she would get the fruits with it. It's really hard because alot of the things in the store that are promoted as healthy, have vitamins & such in them, but have so much sugar or fructose corn syrup that it counteracts the benefits. Another thought (which won't necessarily get her to eat, but will make her healthier) is juice plus. www.juiceplus.com I started my son on it to reinforce what we are doing. They have gummies for the kids & they taste great. It's not vitamins, it's an actual day's worth of servings of fruits and vegetables. Maybe after that, she would start craving healthier items. Sorry I jumped around and rambled! I hope something works for you. Just take it in baby steps...one bite at a time.

both my daughter and i are texture eaters, so i totally know what you mean there! i cannot bite into steak, onions, tomatoes, etc without puking.

salad is a big thing in our family. we try to have it with every meal. Or, like a previous poster said, baked potatoes, corn on the cob and LOTS of mushrooms! we put mushrooms in quesadillas, in pasta sauce, in alfredo, saute them, we even wrap them up in foil with balsamic vinegar and grill them! We use black beans or mushrooms (or both) instead of meat in tacos, in sandwiches, etc.

as far as fruits, i prefer the vast majority of my fruits either in a smootie, or dried. We bought a food dehydrator and make dried strawberries, banana chips, and apple chips. we even make our own "fruit roll-ups"

You just described me as a child! I've yet to meet anyone who is a pickier eater than I am (they don't exist!), and it's a tough thing to tackle. My dad always thought that I was just being stubborn and dramatic about not liking a lot of foods, so his rule was if I didn't like what was made for dinner, I didn't eat. There was no special exception for me. Forcing that rule, while somewhat reasonable if I were just being stubborn, didn't help anything: It taught me to be anorexic as a teenager, and as an adult, I overindulge in what I do like because I'm the one who buys the food and makes dinner now. (Just my experience; I'm not insinuating your family is like that.)

To this day, the only fruit I eat is apples, and I don't eat any veggies. My best suggestion would be to try sticking with crisp and crunchy fruits and veggies for her, though. Those seem to prompt the fewest gag reflexes as far as textures. Mushy stuff is harder to handle when you have a sensitivity to textures.

Trust me, it will be embarrassing for her later in life when she stays with friends and doesn't like what's made, when it comes to going out for dinner, things like that. I dread any of the above because the small amount that I do like is rarely served outside of my house. That's punishment enough for something we don't control.

You have a good plan set out for your goals, and you are right not to allow anyone to make you feel like you are not doing right by her. Make sure you aren't blaming yourself either. Just keep providing any healthy foods that she does like, have her help in setting a weekly menu for the family, and give her a daily kids vitamin if you are worried that she might not be getting all that she needs from what she eats. Let her experiment, helping to prepare foods in ways she thinks she might like them. While she may not grow into an adult who eats the recommended daily values of all food groups every day, she will start finding new things here and there that she likes.

Luckily, it's not necessarily an inherited thing, either. Out of my 4 kids, only one of them can still be considered a picky eater. The other three are what I lovingly refer to as my human garbage disposals: they'll eat pretty much anything you put in front of them every time. They wouldn't turn down junk food for anything, so I just watch what we buy at the store, and they have no arguments with eating healthy food. I feel pretty lucky to not have a bunch of mini-me's!

I "hide" a lot of vegetables in our food...not so much because my daughter won't eat them, but just to boost the nutritional value of everyday meals. While I am an advocate of developing palates early, it doesn't work with every kid. However, there are plenty of ways to eat healthier than chicken nuggets, pizza, and corn dogs without fruits and vegetables.

Canned pumpkin is great to add to spaghetti sauce, chili, mac and cheese, soups, etc. Adds fiber and vitamin A.

Lentils are also added to many dishes with minimum impact on flavor or texture. They are a good source of iron, protein, and fiber. Great in meatballs or meat loaf.

Yellow split peas can be cooked with chicken stock and pureed into something that can be mixed into soups, chili, mashed potatoes. I've even pureed them with a little lowfat coconut milk and curry paste and used it for a sauce on fish or chicken.

I do believe that you need to find ways to encourage her to try new things on her own. Even implementing a reward system for trying something. I don't think you should be cooking her an extra meal. She is old enough to enforce a "no thank you" bite rule (or two or three). If she doesn't want to eat it, then a (healthy) bowl or cereal...something she can fix herself...becomes her dinner.

If you do believe she has some sensitivity to textures, you should have her evaluated. All of our kids are important to us. I would gag and heave intentionally as a child (it didn't get me anywhere)...they can be more manipulative than you think. My mom is still amazed at the wide amount of foods that I eat today.

I'm pretty proud that my three year old has such an adventurous palate. That being said, I've failed miserably in her sleeping habits. We can't always bat a thousand, right?

Can you sneak blended or pureed veggies into anything? Also maybe try some of the V8 fruit drinks or smoothies from frozen or fresh fruit to increase fruit. For Dessert strawberries and blueberries with a little bit of sugar over ice cream.

Try raw versus cooked veggies too. I like mine to still crunch, but my husband loves his veggies cooked to mush pretty much. Carrots cook them with a little brown sugar and or maple syrup until they are soft. Maybe some different dips- ranch dressing, humus or melted cheese on some. Also canned versus frozen versus fresh may make a difference. Canned peas are usually mushy, but the frozen ones are crisp.

Stirfry can be good. I'll do chicken, broccoli, carrots and pineapple in a sweet and sour sauce over rice. That way everything has sauce on it, so you don't taste the veggie as much.

I agree with the texture, I'm 27 and still can't stand the crunch of onions that are chopped up in things or tomato's texture. Onion flavoring is fine with me though.

Thought of another one, zucchini or banana bread. Banana bread with blueberries in it is one of my favorites and I was never a big squash of any kind, but the bread is good. I also recently tried spaghetti squash and was surprised it was actually really good.

Hope that helps and as a picky eater myself I can understand. I think our rule growing up was to at least try two or three bites and I remember dreading some foods and knowing I was going to have to try them again. Other things I didn't have to try after a couple of times if I really didn't like them for whatever reason.

I'm sure you could find lots of fun and engaging cookbooks for kids that might get her attention. You could try getting her involved in the cooking -- a tactic that often works on toddlers when they won't eat. I think you absolutely should do the summer commitment to healthy eating and make sure your daughter knows this is a FAMILY project and no one gets a pass. I would also suggest smoothies. Smoothies are a great way to get kids eating lots of fruit and vegetables. You can make mostly fruit smoothies that sneak in a couple veggies too. Along those lines, what about healthy homemade soups? Split pea? Butternut squash? Kids will often go for sweet vegetables like candied carrots or roasted sweet potatoes or squash with a little butter and brown sugar.

I have a younger sister who was always hyper-sensitive and (no surprise) a very picky eater. I always suspected she behaved this way because it was a means to get attention and control over the family. She was a middle child and had to do *something* to get noticed, I guess. She usually got her way because my parents feared her terrible fits. If she stubbed her toe, she would scream for an hour and demand to be taken to the hospital. No joke.

Later on she developed full-blown hypochondria and started using her constant illnesses to get attention or to get out of doing things. Her difficult behavior has made her the black sheep and no one really enjoys dealing with her even today.

Maybe your daughter has a similar dynamic going on. She gets special attention (rewards) for acting like a princess about food and that makes me wonder if she is also sick a lot or is generally anti-social. Look, I don't want to make assumptions, but you did admit that she has you "wrapped around her little finger." Yet you don't want to hear that you need to take charge. Well, you do. Do the summer challenge and don't let her wriggle out of it! Don't give her a "You're So Special, You Don't Have To Behave Like A Normal Person" pass. Treating her that way will do her no favors in adulthood, let me tell you.

Maybe she really hates carrots but there's no REAL condition that makes a person vomit up all healthy food and accept only corndogs. That's psychological. If I were in your shoes I might seriously consider involving the pediatrician and a therapist of some sort. Maybe just a nutrition counselor could change her behavior. But start with fun cookbooks, get her in the kitchen with you, do the healthy summer challenge, set a good example at home with your own eating.....and if none of that changes things, take it to the next level with a nutritionist or counselor. Just keep in mind, if you send the message that you are SORRY about it and she still has a chance to get out of it, she will take it! Best of luck!

I forgot -- try stealth nutrition!

http://www.amazon.com/Stealth-Health-Delicious-Recipes-Yo...

find one of these:
http://www.usatoday.com/life/books/news/2007-10-21-seinfe...

Maybe let her try picking out a few new things at the grocery store herself. Raw veggies go over much better with my son because he doesn't like mushy stuff, lol. Another great thing to do is make smoothies. Use yogurt as a base and add some fresh fruit and chopped ice to make like a milk shake. Kudos for the effort!

Respect the things she "HATES" like the carrots. I have a texture issue and I HATE corn - makes me want to vomit. I can't stand peas because they feel the same as corn.
Don't force. Ellen Satter has some amazing books. She points out that you control what is available and the child controls what they choose to eat. She has suggestions and ideas and is an advocate for healthy eating (she is a registered dietitian). But, she doesn't believe in forcing children to eat anything. Reading it kind of overwhelmed me because I felt like I screwed up when my kids were little and it's hard to change established habits. But, she has sound advice and good ideas. The last thing we want to create are closet eaters or other food disorders.

What if you explained to her the other side of her unhealthy eating. It is not just over weight (she is very lucky that she is not) it is the bad skin and appearance that can happen. She is a girl, i am sure she does not want pimples and unheathly hair.

Have you tried raw carrots, broccoli, cauliflower...dipped in ranch? I agree that cooked carrots make you want to puke. It is not as bad raw. Make sure she is drinking 100% fruit juice and waters only. Ice tea, sodas and crappy juice are only going to make everything worse. Orange slices put in the fridge are a nice treat. What about a frozen chocolate covered banana for dessert instead of cakes and things...

Be careful with all of the pizzas, nuggets, corn dogs... the weight will eventually catch up with her... and you are right she will have a shortened life span :(

There is a cookbook out there that has a lot of recipes where you "hide" veggies. I think it is called the Sneaky Chef. I understand not wanting all of the drama at the table. I have recently stopped fixing my boys something different to eat, but our drama is related to meat as they will eat most veggies. One thing I have started doing is fixing a plate for them and telling them until everything on the plate is gone, they get nothing else. It may be just one or two pieces of meat and then whatever veggie we are having and some fruit. I let them help pick the things they like ( I give them 2 choices). It kind of works. I also know a mom that makes her kids eat x amount of pieces of veggies based on the kids age. For instance, her 5 year old has to eat 5 green beans.
I will say though, that they are many children, including my oldest son, that will force themselves to vomit in order to get out of something( if it isn't a chicken nugget or the kind of noodles he wants for instance, he will start gagging before he swallows it). There is also a whole eating disorder centered around vomiting. I don't know whether or not that is what your daughter is doing, but there are other people that can and do vomit on purpose.
Just be patient with her and give her choices. Sneak it in where you can. She is also old enough, that she may be more willing to try it if she helps prepare it. Smoothies may be a good breakfast option where she can try lots o fruits. If she like marinara sauce, you can put just about any veggie in it. Spinach is one of my favorites. Good luck.

it's time for your daughter to step up to the plate! Seriously, throw it into her hands. Give her the tools to make healthy choices, let her make the shopping list, let her help with the shopping & putting away!, & then let her help prepare the food. If she's 9, then she's old enough!

& just one little comment: if she can eat chips, pretzels, etc.....then she can eat carrots! It's not the texture.....it's the mindframe.

& I heartily vote FOR a fast food-free summer......

The answer is simple: make one, healthy meal, and do not make anything else. Offer her a reasonable (for her age) serving of each food group, and she can have seconds of any group only after she eats all that she was first served. She doesn't have to eat it all to be done, but she can't have more if she doesn't eat all of the first servings. Your attitude is probably the most difficult part of making this transition. Why would this be easy? Why should anything be easy? No one wants drama at the table, but I've yet to meet a parent who doesn't have it. That's just how it is. Abandon the notion that this should be seamless and that she will LOVE healthy food, and you will succeed. Be consistent and she will be healthier. Good luck.

I have the same problems with textures and I'm 33. I eat very few fruits and veggies because of my problems with textures. And I have always been VERY hesitant to try new ones because that are all very similar in texture. I do much better with raw veggies than with cooked ones, ie raw broccoli , cauliflower, carrots and spinach. That's about the extent of the veggies I will eat. I started eating more veggies ( yes that list is more than I was eating) when I found raw spinach. I found the raw spinach salad that I could load up with ham, cheese and salad dressing and I thought that was awesome. I still don't eat many , and I don't eat things like yogurt with fruit chunks in it. That makes my skin crawl.
Give her time , try the raw veg/make your own salad thing with ranch dressing route , she'll eventually eat more but the more you fight it the more she'll push back.
And on a side note, I'm in no way over weight , 5'4" 120 lb soaking wet.

Just one more addition. I have one son who ate lots of fruits and veggies and the other one avoided them at all costs! His diet was much like your daughter's. I found out he didn't like most veggies cooked but would eat raw carrots and broccoli with low-fat ranch dressing for dipping. As he got older he was willing to try different foods. His wife is great with preparing nutritious meals. They do eat fast food and sweets but not to excess. He was slender as a young child and is slender now, but during middle school years he got a little chubby (it's been my observation that is a common thing). Hopefully with continued encouragement and as she gets older your daughter will come around.

You have lots of good tips but I just wanted to say good for you for instituting change! It is so hard, for kids and adults! The tips about Sneaky Chef are good, but she is old enough to be picking out food from the store and helping you prepare it. I think if she is invested in the food and the process she will be that much more likely to eat it and like it. You can even take some of your favorite recipes and see how you can make them healthier. Also there are a ton of healthier recipes for muffins, cakes, cookies on the internet so you could start by making some of those together so that she can see that she can still have some of those treats and be healthier. My daughter is only 2 but we love to make muffins and we've put things in them that she didn't previously eat and now she will b/c she did it herself. Get her as involved as possible in the food decisions being made in the house and I think you'll find it to be a fairly easy transition.

I like the idea of a fast food free summer. I may try that one. My kids eat fruits and veggies, so I am trying to keep more of that around, instead of the junky food.

I am going to start a cooking with mom night for each of my girls. They can pick out the menu ( has to be healthy), shop for the ingredients, and help cook.

Maybe if your daughter likes pizza, make your own with whole wheat crust, low fat cheese, and maybe throw some veggies on and see what happens. If she like mac and cheese, there are lowfat ways to make that as well, and add a veggie.

I remember when I was younger I did not eat alot of veggies, but I love them now.

Good luck

I haven't read a whole lot of your responses, but I hope that you have received some helpful ones so far.

My oldest is like that. He's 3. Here's what we do: at a grocery store in the produce section, if something catches his fancy, we buy it and try it, even if we have no idea what it is. We make carrot applesauce cake, put spinach in brownies, make smoothies and put spinach and other veggies in there as well, and just otherwise try to hide vegetables while not hiding the fact that they are in there. For example, he'll watch me put spinach in the blender but still be okay drinking the smoothie. He'll watch me puree carrots and pumpkin and add it to his homemade macaroni and cheese, and he'll still eat it.

I also make something like rice-a-roni and add small, diced veggies to that. He loves it! He also really enjoys ethnic food: vegetable tempura, quesadillas with pureed veggies (or sometimes I leave them a little chunky), different flavors of soup, etc.

Good luck! I hope that you find something that works for you and your family.

That's a tough one! Are there any fruits or vegetables she likes? If so, maybe you could serve those most every day or see if she will eat something where the vegetables are finely cut and really cooked.

Great job, though, wanting to encourage her to eat heallthy even though she is tall and slender. My husband and his brothers have a super high metabolism so they don't have to eat healthy...and they don't! They grew up eating meals consisting of lots of meat, usually fried, and if there was gravy involved then it had a giant spoonful of left over grease in it. Rice was always buttered. Vegetables were potatoes, ranch style beans and macaroni and cheese! When we visit and I suggest that we need something green then we get a broccoli and cheese casserole.

Since being married to me, my husband has started accepting fruits and veggies. He loves bananas and watermelon (he had never had a watermelon until after we were married). His mom gives weird looks when I mention something my husband has discovered he likes or when I mention what good eaters my kids are. My husband's grandmother was even upset with me when I wouldn't let my daughter (who was under one at the time) eat banana pudding. She said her neighbors were like that and their son was super weird.

Okay, so I'm rambling. Good job for at least wanting your daughter to eat healthy. One thing I would suggest is not making extra meals for her. Maybe have a standby. In my house if my kids don't want to eat something(that I know they normally eat) then they help themselves to dry cereal or yogurt...something they can grab themselves and eat. It doesn't happen very often but I've seen my husband's mom fix one too many extra meals for her sons because they just weren't in the mood for something. That's not what I want to do.

Good luck!

She really does not need to put in her order. There is no reason to make your child extra food. She needs to learn to eat what is put in front of her or not eat it at all. Get rid of the junk food... the nuggets, the cheese pizza, the corn dogs.

There is a book I suggest. It is a cookbook. It focuses on making kid friendly food but making it healthy... like hiding veggies in it where she won't know they are there. It is called The Sneaky Chef by Missy Lapine. Also there are a ton of children's cookbooks out there that you can buy. Make sure they don't have a ton of junk food recipes.

You can allow her to help you make the menu for the week. She can also help you cook. Alot of times if they are the ones cutting up the veggies and cooking them they are more likely to taste them. I have done this with my kids and it works everytime... my kids are 10, 8, and 3.

Good Luck!

Hi B.,

I have shared this information before and it has solved a lot of problems. Healthy bodies crave healthy foods. Sometimes you can't get a healthy body without either work or cunning, lol. I recommend an absorbable multivitamin/mineral complex that is guaranteed to absorb. Once the body starts absorbing nutrition, the body will crave healthier foods. Fiber will also aid in the absorption process as well. A friend's child went from eating only bread, potatoes, cookies etc all day long to eating three square meals a day with no complaints because of a specific fiber product.

There are other ways as well to become healthier. I also advise a detox of the home and chiropractic care as well. The detox is simple and inexpensive and will probably save you some money. The chiropractic care will be an added expense. It's worth it if you can afford it. (I couldn't afford to go without it.)

If you want to do this I will be glad to help. I've walked quite a few people through this and it has always helped!

God bless,

M.

B.,

When our kids went through periods like this, not wanting to eat the food I fixed for the family, I did not make separate food for them. I told them they could fix something for themselves, as long as it was nutritious. E.g., they could fix a peanut butter sandwich. (We use whole wheat bread, natural peanut butter, and all-fruit spreads.)

Now I have another option that totally alleviates any concern I have about nutrition for my kids. Reliv has a kids' product called "NOW for Kids" that comes in chocolate & vanilla. Mixed with water, milk, soy milk, rice milk, or whatever beverage your child likes, it provides all the nutrients your child needs, and it costs less than $2/day. You can let me know if you want to know more about this.

Get her cooking. Let her help as much as possible in the kitchen. The more kids have invested in food the more likely they are to eat it. I aggree with let her help plan the ONE family menu. I also love the Sneeky Chef. I've been adding veggies to our meals for months and my husband just now caught me. Check out there site. If you do have to eat out I recommend places like Souper salad and Golden Corral. Both have huge fresh food bars that give kids great opportunites to try new foods. They are my 4yo favortive restraunts.

There is a website www.thesneakychef.com that has tons of recipes for sneaking healthy food into your child's diet. There's anything from yellow cake with carrot and sweet potatoes in it to lasagna with spinach, broccoli, peas and oatbran in it, and all the recipes are really good. My daughter doesn't like veggies a whole lot either, so this website has been a God send!! Good luck!

Good for you for trying to get your kiddos to eat healthy! If she likes "junk food" then make healthy versions of those things with good stuff snuck in. Like cheese pizza--do a whole wheat crust and low fat cheese, puree some carrots and other veggies into the pizza sauce. She'll never notice! You could do zucchini bread and whole wheat blueberry muffins. Does she like salsa? 1/4 a cup of that is a veggie serving. Get some baked tortilla chips and that is healthy. Just find healthier versions of her favorite foods and start from there. Then maybe gradually make the pureed veggies in these items slightly larger and so on. Then she'll see that she actually is eating veggies and likes them. Teenagers are very closed minded and stubborn sometimes. So a little sneakiness couldn't hurt... ;)

well like some of the others have suggested try hiding the stuff she has issues with. mashed patotoes is a good way to hide other veggies or herbs. we like parsley and garlic mashed patatoes. meatloaf is a good way to get veggies in since it is hard to taste individual ingredients. making sure she takes her vitamins is a good way to help with what she isn't getting in her diet.

Just don't cater to her. if she won't eat what you cook she can either have bread and butter or go to bed hungry. eventually she will get tired of being hungry or eating the same thing over and over again.