Fab 5: Five simple ways to get your kids to eat well

In our busy daily shuffles it is all too easy to grab a convenience food and go. Many manufacturers are playing the “busy families” card with enticing processed packaged quick-and-easy foods. This has become, to many, a staple in our homes. It is by no fault of our own really when we are bombarded by labels and commercials emphasizing the “grab and go” protocol. They want us to believe that their kid-friendly snacks have some sort of nutritional value by making claims such as “high in fiber” “enriched with vitamins”, “oodles of calcium” etc. When in fact, these products may have some value, the truth is that all of the other junk far outweighs any nutritional content (not to mention the amount of waste)!

What they conveniently forget to mention is how loaded-up with sugar it may be. How it contains high-fructose corn syrup which is being shown to have negative implications and gobs of other bunk like preservatives, synthetic colors and synthetic flavors. I have become a member of the “FBI” (food bunk inspector) when I shop and have literally shook my head in disgust at these claims. My favorite is “made with real fruit juice” and as it turns out…there is a minute amount included along with every other demon ingredient too. BAH!

So to this I say “I will not be fooled Mr. Big Manufacturer” and I will stand firm even if that means weeding in the hot summer sun through a garden that is barely alive I am learning to grow.  I will slave away in my kitchen any day for the sake of our children’s health.

FAB 5′s to getting your kid’s “into” the good stuff:

1. Refuse with reason: I know how whiny persusasive our little one’s can be when they see those Hostess cupcakes. (no offense Hostess, it happens with those fruit by foot deals too. Which by the way, they aren’t even a foot. They are more like three feet of cavity-enhancers). Refuse with reason by talking to your kids. Explain that even though it looks good that it is not-followed with why. Our kids actually know in kids terms that HFCS equates to something that is bad for them. They see me read the labels and listen when I share it with them. They may be small but they do listen and understand when something is actually explained to them.

2. Only buy the good stuff: If you want them to eat well, feed them well. Kids love to have choices and feel a sense of autonomy when they are able to make decisions for themselves. If you buy pink-frosted cupcakes, they may just choose pink-frosted cupcakes. So why (if you really do not even want them to have it) buy them? Instead, load up on things like instant oatmeal (takes 5 minutes in the microwave) and top it with some cinnamon! Just because whole grain toast is traditionally known as breakfast, who says you can’t eat it for an afternoon snack with locally made jam? Think outside the box!

3. Fresh is best: I am always pinching pennies when I go to the grocery, but I refuse to skimp on the fresh goods. Much of my budget is wiped clean immediately after I enter the doors of my grocer. Why? Because the produce comes first logistically and financially for me. This is the heart of my grocery shopping. Our kids go bazerk because I let them walk around and not only tell me what fruits and vegetables sound good, but they help by picking out the pretty ones. M goes straight for green bananas and E goes for the almighty blackish bruised ones (eeew). M adores the green Granny Smith (and knows them by name) and E dives into the brightest colored Red Delicious he can find. If you involve them in these picks, they really do get excited! Make it fun…use fresh fruit to make yummy smoothies, or mix into orange juice and make popsicles with chunks of fruit, add veggies to soups and casseroles etc!

4. Involvement: Get them excited by allowing them to be an active foodie. You can start by getting kids cookbooks for them to look through at the library sorting through recipes together, have them help you write out a list of what you will need before going shopping, give them one night of the week where they get to be the chef (our kids crave the permission to be the boss), and read those labels aloud! It may seem like a lot of work in the beginning, but it does get easier AND it is well worth it in the long run.

5. Presentation: Would you rather have a burger wrapped in plastic or a fresh one off the grill with a big fat pickle on the side and some plump baked french fries? I would hope that most of us would choose the grill option. Why? Because it looks better. Period. Presentation is not just about using nice placemats, but the beauty of every aspect of food preparation. Some easy ways to make meal time or snack time “pretty” would be fresh fruit that is already washed in a nice bowl within reach to the kiddos. Keep a water pitcher in the refrigerator with some slices of lemon inside. Cut your vegetables in advance using many colors and keep these fresh little snacks in a nice dish WITHIN REACH! Include fresh picked flowers at the table, go on a nature hike and pick acorns and pine cones and use them as a center piece. Simple ideas that can turn an ordinary snack or meal into something of beauty.

With every small step we take, we have a profound impact on who our children grow up to become!