Getting Kids To Eat Veggies: Part 10
I've blathered on about tricks and tips for getting kids to eat veggies. But this week I'm pointing the spotlight at the adults in the home, and their job to:Set the example.
(Ouch.)
I never realized that Parenthood meant Death To My Childhood Fantasies. Sleeping in, feasting on junk food,
Now I have little people who are quick to point out that Dad Isn't Eating His Cooked Carrots So Why Should I followed shortly by Mom I Saw You Get Something Out Of The Cupboard What Was It Can I Have Some Too.
It's not like your diet has to be perfect. But that dorky cliche "children learn what they live" is true. It's hard to get your kids to eat broccoli if there's none on your plate. It's also hard to get kids to eat broccoli if there's none in your house.
Now don't let me fool you. I've not had any of my kids say to me, "You know what, Mother? I see you eating that steamed broccoli with the light buttery sauce and I simply must have some."
Setting the example doesn't bring immediate results like that, but it does make a difference in the long run. Kids will eat what's in the house--and the last I checked--it's usually the parents who are footing the bill at the store. I've slowly been transitioning our meals and snack times to better choices, doing my best to create an atmosphere of healthy eating at home.
This ends my ten-part series on Getting Kids To Eat Veggies. I hope my tips have magically transformed your mealtimes into Happy Healthy Hour. If so, you're welcome. And if not, just remember: You get what you pay for.
Find other practical tips over at Works For Me Wednesday.
8 comments:
great point - I've often thought that if we ate what my son ate when he first started on solid foods (albeit not in puree form) we'd be much healthier. We both eat WAY more sweets than we would ever *dream* of letting him eat. Ugh - being a grownup! :)
I have a friend who "taught" her son to eat veggies from the get go. When he was younger (he's all of "almost" 4 now), he never ate chips or fries or "junk" like that. And for dessert, he ate fruit. He eats what they eat. No special meals. And you know what, he actually prefers green veggies over starchy fried stuff. He actually prefers grapes to "goldfish" and his favorite? are you ready for this? ASPARAGUS!! I don't even like that!!
I try to lead by example as I like veggies but unfortunately my husband hates them. Thankfully my kids love fresh veggies.
My husband and I love vegetables and eat a practically veggie-based diet. Has our wonderful example rubbed off on our daughter? Unfortunately, no. Her favorite foods are cheese, pasta, and chips and salsa. At least salsa is sort of like a vegetable . . . right?
I wrote a WFMW post a few weeks ago about making strawberry spinach popsicles. My daughter loved those!
You may be interested in joining our blog carnival over at the Green Baby Guide. It starts tomorrow and is called "Thrifty Green Thursday." Check it out!
I'm the veggie hater in my house and since I'm the one who is responsible for 3 out of 3 meals a day, you can imagine I don't go out of my way to put veggies on my kids plates. It's not competely intentional - I just don't think about them.
Lately, I've been making it a point to at least add veggies at dinner time. My boy will eat anything you put in front of him to the point where you have to watch your fingers. My 4 yr old daughter, on the other hand, is a food fighter - every meal there's a fight.
I've decided to take the honest approach and tell her that I don't like veggies either but we have to eat them so we may as well eat them together. I've actually choked down peas, broccoli and carrots just this week! And as a result, she's eating more veggies, too! :)
Ouch is right. I'm ashamed that I don't like veggies and for the most part, my kids don't either.
In my defense, we do eat cucumbers, celery, lettuce, carrots, corn on the cob and tonnnnssss of fruits.
I'm with you on this one! I always load up my plate with healthy things so that my daughters will love them too. If I want something sweet, I just wait until they go to bed! ;)
Hi!
I just discovered that my 3 year old loves balsamic vinegar. Dipped everything in it...chicken, zucchini, even grapes (yum). My 6 year old watched this and proceeded to do the same AND EVEN ASKED FOR ANOTHER HELPING OF ZUCCHINI!!! Usually he makes wild wretching sounds when I ask him to eat anything in the squash category...even after I guilt him with "you planted that in our garden, remember?" So...try some balsamic vinegar....straight up!
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