Getting Kids to Eat Healthy Part II

Mealtime quotes from my boys, part II
“Can I ask why we have to eat birdseed for dinner?”
“Those are poppy seeds.”
This is my never-ending quest to turn my kids into healthy eaters. Aren’t boys suppossed to be ravenous eaters?
I use the poppy seeds whenever I can, as seeds are full of vitamins. This meal consists of plain pasta with olive oil, and poppy seeds. It’s pretty good, and I found it in the book, Cook Once a Week, Eat Well Every Day,Theresa Albright says herbs are also full of nutrition. Mint is a great start, as kids tolerate this “green”. So I grew basil, oregano, chocolate mint, peppermint, and sage and let the kids count that toward their “vegetable” for the day. I even let a “lick” count toward a taste. But, it turns out, my boys like the herbs, and they like being able to choose which green.

We have to make this business of healthy eating fun. Science says so. And we also need to give our kids some autonomy over their food choices. The Framingham Children’s Study found that being too strict (authoritarian: you have to eat this before you leave the table) led to the growth of tubby children. A parent that is more flexible, (authoritative) helps children have better eating habits. Let me say this another way. Authoritarian parents control their children to act certain ways with little flexibility. An authoritative parent helps the child choose to do what’s right by establishing structure and setting limits. There are consequences, and there are exceptions. It’s tough to be an “authoritative” parent – and that’s normal to feel that way.

The herb leaves are a great start. Most importantly, it gets them used to trying new flavors. (Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing always helps.) The point is, I think that once kids understand nutrition and the benefits of healthy eating, they begin to feel good about making the right choices. Talk to them, and show them different kinds of foods, and give them options.

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