My sister-in-law asked about fruits and veggies. For most kids it is true, that the more you give them something, the more likely they are to like it....eventually. That could mean when they are 10 or 15 though. So, for now, try hiding it, or masking the tastes they don't like with cheese or something. My friend just put this recipe on her blog and I think it is great, especially for boys who you can tell that it is super man juice or something. Here it is.... "6 oz can of Dole pineapple juice (comes in a 6 pack case in juice aisle)about 3-4 cups of spinach Kale (dark leafy green veggie, way healthy. I usually just pull off a couple of big leaves)fresh pineapple (about 1/4 of the pineapple. This is what really hides the taste, so add more if your kids aren't fooled)1-2 apples halved, core includedfrozen strawberriesIcePut in blender in this order and let run for a few minutes, adding more ice if needed.Sorry this recipe is a little broad. Just try it and adjust ingredients! So Yummy!!"
-Also, I don't know if you have tried cheese sauce, but my nanny kids loved cauliflower and broccoli in cheese sauce (Kraft singles or Velveeta (you could use real cheddar but they usually don't like it as much) and milk). It is also helpful to hide it in rice or noodles. Most kids love those starchy foods, so try frying rice with bite sized veggies or lasagna with tons of spinach in it. A ton of spinach cooks down to just a tiny bit, so you can hide it pretty easily. Carrots with a little brown sugar are also usually a hit. Also, find a dip they love (the hidden valley ranch dip mix is usually popular) and give them a bunch of raw veggies and let them have their own dip bowl.
-I reccommend getting your kids in the habit of eating the exact same meal you eat. Don't pull out the chicken nuggets or corn dogs because they "don't like that." Let them choose what they eat out of the stuff that is on the table (always provide more than one or two things if possible).
-I know this can be hard, but it really does help if the kiddos help prepare the veggies. They are much more likely to eat it if they had a hand in it (literally) :).
-And, if none of that works, you might have to pull a Love and Logic and say, "I give sweets to kids who eat their veggies." and then stick to that. If they don't eat all the veggies you give them (be reasonable) then just sympathize with them that they don't get dessert and move on with the rest of the night. You may have a temper tantrum, but endure it and it will be worth it. (if sweets don't appeal to your child (get them checked out :)) then use something that does appeal to them. )
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Thank you Dana, you rock!!! Give Mason hugs and kisses from us and tell Uncle Bubba the boys say "What's up?"!!!
The "Family Education" link has some great stuff on adoption. Thanks for sharing that link!
For new babies I think Ruth Yaron's book Super Baby Food is great. She tells you how to prepare everything age appropriately and teaches you about the importance of food combinations. I don't agree with the amounts of food she says ALL babies need, or how early you need to start, but she helped me realize there was no reason my 8 month old couldn't eat homemade grains, legumes and kale for breakfast and love it. We've been totally faithful to her diet and now at 16 months Whitney has no problem chowing down on all sorts of super healthy things that Chris and I taste and want to gag on! I love your recommendations for getting older kids to eat healthy. I think as parents if we provide a super power breakfast we don't have to worry so much when they eat Cheeto's at a friend's house or go to a birthday party. One good food habit my nanny family had that I will hopefully incorporate with my kids -- make veggies so routine that they are thrown off if they don't get them. My nanny girls freaked if they didn't get broccoli every night! Sounds perfect to me!
So is here where I request parenting help? Discipline- to do or not to do at 16 months, and if so, how? She seems too young to understand time outs, but she KNOWS the rules! She's such a good girl, but there are just times when it seems I should do SOMETHING when she looks right at me and does something naughty with a look that says "whatcha gonna do about it, Mom?"
I have found personally that the masking truly works. Broccli was particularly difficult, so I mix it with Lucys' mashed potatoes, spaghetti sauce, etc. Cheese is also a great idea. Good protein and dairy, along with some good greens. Something else that seems to get overlooked with little ones foods is seasoning. They like flavor just as much as we big kids. So salt (in moderation) & different herbs can make a big difference!! This has been a big one with me because I'm not a restaraunt. I'm not going to make different meals for each of us, so we've definitely had to find creative ways of mixing her food sometimes. I've also found the same to be true with milk. I know it's tempting to add chocolate of some kind so they drink it, but I just kept re-introducing it and eventually she took to it. When I eat or drink with her, it helps as well. She's at a very trusting age and wants to do what Mom wants to do. So that can be a big help. I love this sharing & learning!! SO GREAT!!!
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