You CAN get Your Kids to Eat Healthy

This week we have been discussing ideas on how to get kids to eat healthy. It can seem an insurmountable task, especially when you are just beginning to make changes and your children are being less than co-operative. We started off the week discussing looking for recipes to incorporate foods that are consider “disgusting” by children, in a way that will at least get them to try eating healthy foods. “Get Your Kids to Eat Vegetables” included a fantastic recipe to get you started on your journey.  Next, we presented some tips and ideas for making getting your children to eat more healthy foods in an easy, simple, and frugal way in “How to Prepare Healthy Food for Your Family.” Today we continue our journey to get the kids eating healthy foods with some additional tips and ideas.

  1. Change it up! Don’t offer the exact same snacks every day. Offer strawberries, bananas, and crackers one day and apples, carrots, and graham crackers the next. Follow this principle when shopping weekly for fresh produce as well. Don’t purchase bananas every week, as he will grow tired of eating them and then they will spoil and you will become frustrated.

  2. Don’t keep other snacks in the house! This is simple. If they aren’t there for them to choose from, then they will eat what you offer if they are hungry. However, don’t forget to do a fun junk food snack once a week, to help teach moderation and how to integrate those types of foods into a healthy lifestyle.
  3. Keep the snacks coming! You often hear nutritionists advise eating 5-8 small meals per day. What better way to train your children at a young age to eat small snack meals a few times per day, rather than 3 large meals, by offering a plate of finger food snacks at regular intervals? The bonus to this is that whining for food constantly will be held to a minimum.

  4. Change the Look! Try cutting snack food items in new and interesting ways. Also arrange them in interesting ways, perhaps by color, size, shape, fruit kabobs, or make a funny face on a plate. Kids respond visually to food; if they enjoy the look, they will be more likely to want to dig into eating it. Why do you think so many magazines spend so much time and money coming up with recipes that are visually interesting for kids parties and gatherings? Use this to your advantage. As long as preparation is efficient and contains some value towards your goal, Go For It!
  5. Eat what you are asking your children to eat. You are the best and most influential role model in your children’s lives. If they are asked to sit down to a plate of healthy snacks while you are sucking down a shake or noshing on cookies, your children will not want to eat healthy. They will more likely receive a message such as “Do as I say, not as I do. That’s what being a parent is all about.”

Keep in mind, your children didn’t develop their current eating habits overnight, so changing them will not happen overnight either. Be patient and persistent and cut yourself some slack Mom! You can find an additional resource for helping you prepare healthy foods for your family, especially for the days when you are on the go by CLICKING HERE. The largely popular Simply Frugal Portable Lunches, isn’t just about lunch. It contains essential information about healthy eating with kids while on a budget. The recipes included are simple, easy, and frugal too! This will be a resource you will refer to time and time again! In honor of our week of how to prepare healthy foods for your family and getting kids to eat healthy, the price has been reduced to fit every budget! Get More Details about the Book  Now! 

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