It's the age-old challenge faced by us moms: Getting kids to eat their veggies. We know they need them, but we're not always sure how to get the veggies into the mouths and more importantly into the stomachs of our children. Multi-vitamins may be a safety net, but they can't make up for all of the benefits of eating real vegetables. Scientists find out more every day about all the positive impacts those colorful vegetables have on our health. The trick for us moms is to figure out how to get our kids to eat - and even enjoy - vegeatables. In familes whose kids do just that, there are common characteristics, including:
Expectations: "It's the way we eat." Vegetables are abundant in the house and are eaten for snacks and meals, and this is modeled by parents every day who visibly enjoy eating a variety of vegetables.
Consistency: Parents stay calm and consistent when children resist or tantrum. There is some kind of rule about eating vegetables and once the kids realize mom and dad mean it, they eventually stop resisting or battling.
Equality: Vegetables get treated like other foods. They aren't made into the 'yucky' food you have to eat before getting the 'good' stuff like fruit or dessert.
Experiences: The children are involved in the cooking and shopping, as well as preparation of food.
Conversations: The families eat together and have real conversations about food - the tastes, the colors, the shapes, the smells, the textures.
Education: The parents of kids who eat vegetables spend time educating kids through books, talk, movies, and more about how what we eat directly affects our health, sports performance, learning ability and appearance.
Encouragement: Parents invite kids to be adventurous eaters and celebrate when new foods are tried, whether it is perceived as healthy or not.
Prioritizing: These parents prioritize health, knowing how important it is to have a happy life. They schedule time to cook and to pack healthy meals and snacks.
Responsibility: The parents view taking care of our bodies through eating well, being active and other means as a responsibility that comes along with the opportunity we have to be and stay healthy.
Do the families I've met over the years all do each of these things everyday? No. Do I do most of these things consistently? No. What happens is that in families whose kids will eat vegetables, some of these are happening daily and others go in streaks. It takes time and consistency, like everything else we do as moms. It can be hard, especially with our crazy lives. If you want your kids to eat more vegetables, choose one or two of the above areas and make a plan for yourself and be consistent, even when it is hard and you are exhausted, and I remember when I had a 3 ½ year old and 1 year old twins what it felt like to be exhausted by all of this. Hold in your mind a vision of your healthy children enjoying vegetables each day and stay focused on that vision as you keep trying to figure out what will work for your family.
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Angelle Batten, M.A., H.H.C., and Dr. Susan McCreadie, a Holistic Pediatrician, created Nourish Your Kids, an online resource to help moms raise healthy children. Healthy Kids, Happy Moms. http://www.nourishyourkids.com
» left by Sheryl from Tasmania (138 days 23 hours ago.)
That's great advice. I'm pleased to see that my son, the first to become a parent, has a 16 month old boy who loves his vegetables - because they are regarded as proper food all the family eats. It is possible. My recommendation would be always to stay calm about the whole matter, and treat the real food as the best food and only have deserts occasionally, not because they are special, but because even though they taste nice, they just aren't important. Respond to this comment
» left by Angelle Batten from Brighton MI (138 days 12 hours ago.)
Sheryl, Thanks so much for your comment. It sounds like your son is right on track with your grandson. You must feel really good about that. Is there any reason I couldn't post your comment on our website for other moms to read? Thanks!
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