Inspiring Children to Make Healthy Food Choices

Let's face it, there are a lot of bad food choices out there spending a lot more time an effort than we can even imagine trying to capture the attention of our kids.  Unfortunately, the healthy choices don't usually have the same jazzy tunes, sparkly lights or famous characters.  All that being said, we are not set for defeat.  In fact, just as the saying goes "sleep begets sleep" as do healthy choices encourage more healthy choices.  Nature really takes care of that part, given that the body functions so much better when unprocessed, whole foods are supplying your energy.  When anyone tanks up on processed sugars, carbs, high sodium, high fat, the insulin levels go crazy, organs do not function as well, and you just feel pretty bad.  However, when you fuel on fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean protein, your insulin levels stay more stable, less stress is put upon your organs and you frankly feel so much more energetic and inspired to make the next food choice a healthy one.  Even if you don't have children that are begging for broccoli or scarfing down pears for dessert, here are some tips for attaining that goal:

It is never to early to start and the sooner the better
If you have very young children (a year or less), you are working with a blank canvas.  Offer a wide variety of foods (even the ones that you don't like) and keep it up.  The earlier you start providing a wide variety of foods to your child, the easier it will be to avoid the picky toddler.  However, you have to continue to offer that same wide variety as they begin eating finger foods.  Finger foods are often where the wheels fall off, because some of the more traditional finger foods available for purchase are things like puffs, animal crackers, etc.  It is easy to forget that vegetables and fruit are the ultimate finger foods; it just may take a couple of minutes to cook them or cut them.  For example, green peas poured into a small microwave-safe dish are ready in the microwave in one minute.  Young taste buds are extremely sensitive, so sweet peas actually taste quite sweet to them and hardly take more time than pouring some puffs.  Blueberries are certainly as quick and easy as animal crackers.  If your children are not so young, the sooner you can start down this path the better.  Unfortunately, being a picky eater is not something that is just going to go away one day.  Enjoying, or at least appreciating, a wide variety of foods is learned over time with continual reinforcement.

Lead by example

The best tool you have in your box for inspiring your children to make healthy food choices is your example.  As with everything else in life, it is what we do that makes the greatest impact on our children, not what we say.  Sitting down to dinner with your entire family is important for many reasons, but especially to allow your kids to see you making healthy food choices.


Power of information

Never underestimate the intelligence of your children.  Even at a very young age, they will love to learn about the benefits/consequences of the food choices they make.  As you sit down to that family dinner, make a point to discuss the foods on the plate and what they do for your body and mind.  For example, how the spinach makes them so strong so they can play baseball, dance, tumble, etc. or how whole grains make their heart function better so they can run faster or further...  They are these wonderful independent beings that truly enjoy being leveled with and allowed to use that information to make positive choices.


Expect a "No Thank You" bite
We have a house rule that everyone tries at least one bite of everything on the plate.  Even though my kids know the rule, they don't always try everything without a bit of a reminder of our rule.  Last week when I was hosting a nutrition talk about techniques for quick healthy dinners, this discussion came up.  One of the ladies told me that her child's school requires the children to always take a "no thank you" bite.  I have now permanently adopted this term because it is the perfect term.  It also reminded me that this is also a great lesson in grace and courtesy, as we want our children to at a minimum take a "no thank you" bite when they are eating at someone else's home.  It really drives the point for me that "you absolutely do not have to finish your plate or love everything that I love, but you do have to be courteous enough to taste my work or the work of others and be thankful for the food that we have."  Need a little help learning or reinforcing the importance of tasting everything, whip out your copy of "Green Eggs and Ham" by Dr. Seuss.  Don't forget to have a discussion about the meaning after you read the book.  It is such a fun book to read, depending on their age, they just might miss the lesson without a little help from Mom and Dad.

Never stop offering

So you have offered broccoli no less than five times and your child has refused to eat more than the "no thank you" bite all five times.  Hang in there and keep the broccoli coming, because it may take 30 more times or more, but they will eventually learn to like it or at the very least learn to appreciate it.  Or, your happy 18 month old always loved green beans, but now that same 2 1/2 year old refuses them.  Again, hang in there and keep them coming.  Children’s' taste change often so it might be the next time that works or it may be another year or two.


Get them involved

Children have a very strong desire to be a contributing member of the family.  Even at a year old, there are things that they can do to help out.  This all works to your advantage considering that they are also much more likely to eat the food that they help grow, pick, and/or prepare.  If you have enough space for a pot in your yard, you can start a garden.  Start growing a pot of strawberries, fresh herbs, or a tomato plant and watch your children’s' amazement at the process and the product.  They may be so excited to try the fruits of their labor that it may not make it to the table, but that is a problem we can work with...  Not inclined to test your green thumb?  You will see almost the same response in taking your kids to the farmers' market, co-op, or the grocery store.  Invite them to help plan the meals for the week and pick out the food to make those meals.  Not only are they learning a lifelong skill of making healthy choices, but this is great family time and you can reinforce other skills such as vocabulary, reading, and math during the planning, purchasing, and cooking.  This is also a great season for picking farms, so grab the family and get out and pick blueberries, blackberries, peaches, apples, etc. to your heart’s content.  Unlike Halloween or Easter, they can eat these treats until they just can't eat anymore; and then come back for more the tomorrow...

Hopefully these tips have inspired you to give fruits, veggies, and whole grains another go with your children.  This is a fantastic time of the year for fresh produce, so there is no time like the present.  If you are interested in more support as your family makes a sustainable transition to a healthier lifestyle, contact me or visit my website for more information.

WHAT'S FOR DINNER?
As I mentioned above, this is a fantastic time of the year for produce.  Tonight we are having a delicious mix of roasted vegetables, including butternut squash, zucchini, mushrooms, carrots, asparagus and corn, served over a bed of whole wheat orzo pasta tossed with pesto.  You can use any variety of vegetables that you like and/or have on hand.  Most of these were from my co-op share this week, so I want to use them while they are fresh.  There will be plenty of roasted vegetables and pasta leftover for the kid’s lunches next week, the veggies will also be great to top a big salad, and we can make some roasted vegetable pizzas later this week or early next week for an easy weeknight dinner.

Roasted Mixed Vegetables over Pesto Orzo
Servings:  8

1 butternut squash, cut in half lengthwise and lightly salted and peppered
1 lb carrots, cut in half horizontally and vertically
2 - 4 ears of fresh corn, shucked
8 oz mushrooms, cleaned and sliced in half
2 zucchini, sliced into bite-size pieces
1 lb asparagus spears, with tough ends snapped off and discarded
Olive oil for drizzling
Coarse sea salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Place butternut squash halves flesh-side down on a sheet pan smeared with a little olive oil.  Toss carrots with a little olive oil, salt and pepper and spread on the same sheet pan around the squash.  Roast in oven about 35 to 45 minutes.  If your carrots are small, you may want to wait and roast them with the remaining vegetables or add them after the squash has roasted for about 10 or 15 minutes.  Place remaining vegetables on another sheet pan and toss with a little olive oil, salt, and pepper and roast for the last 15 minutes of the squash.  Remove squash from oven, let cool slightly, before slicing the flesh into cubes and removing from the skin with a large spoon.  Toss the squash and carrots with the other roasted vegetables and serve over a bed of whole wheat orzo pasta that has been drained and tossed with a little pesto.

Here's to fresh, fast, and fantastic food!