Before Prince Charming and I became parents, I read an article about a chef explaining how he fed his own children. Not sparing them from any kind of food, the chef cooked his normal meals, his children ate what was on their plates, and they were not picky eaters.
I knew that if and when I became a mother, I had to follow the same example.
When I was pregnant with Big Brother, I read about how babies developed a taste for what their mothers ate by tasting the flavors through the amniotic fluid, and later through breast milk. (Yes, moms – what you eat does make a difference.) Because I wanted my children to become healthy eaters, I tried to eat a lot of vegetables during both pregnancies.
Once Big Brother and Little Sister were old enough to try solids, we started them on rice cereal, then oatmeal … and then vegetables. Any vegetable I could cook and puree, they would try.
And do you know what? They love vegetables. It doesn’t matter what’s on his plate, Big Brother will choose to scarf down broccoli or green beans first. And when he spies a tray of fresh fruits and vegetables, he happily eats helping after helping of pepper slices, cherry tomatoes, carrots, and sugar snap peas. The boy loves his veggies. (Little Sister has a much bigger sweet tooth and prefers fruit, but she doesn’t complain about vegetables.)
Many parents and grandparents have been very surprised when watching my children eat. They clearly prefer vegetables and rarely make a fuss about what’s on their plate – they just eat.
I know not all children are this way, which is why I save my Chicken Nugget recipe for play dates. I love to pair it with sweet potato fries (the recipe is next Friday) and apple slices for a nutritious lunch. It’s typical kid-fare with a healthy twist.
Helpful hints
Just in case you’re struggling with children who have unhealthy eating habits, here are six tips that have worked for my family:
1. Make one meal for your entire family.
Life’s busy, and you shouldn’t have to feel like a short order cook. Serve everyone the same thing, and if your children are hungry, they will eat it. Our pediatricians have always told us that when our children hit a picky eating phase, not to worry – they will eat when they’re hungry, and they won’t waste away if they skip a meal or two. I know that mealtime battles can be tough. (Just because Big Brother likes vegetables, it doesn’t mean he appreciates every meal I prepare.) But don’t give in to a small child’s ever-changing appetite.
2. Include some splurge days.
If your children like chicken nuggets or pizza, serve chicken nuggets or pizza every so often. But make it healthy. Make your own chicken nuggets instead of buying the unhealthy processed ones, or make your own pizza from scratch. Ask your children to help you top it with a bunch of fresh vegetables, and they’ll get really excited to try their own culinary creation.
3. If you have infants, feed them vegetables.
If they’re breastfeeding, eat vegetables so they acquire a taste for veggies early on. And if they’re old enough to eat solids, feed them the real deal. Forget about jarred baby foods, and feed them actual fruits and vegetables. Avocados and bananas make healthy snacks and meals that are the perfect consistency for beginning eaters.
4. To help instill adventurous eating habits, make sure you’re eating adventurously as a family.
Try new flavors. Pick a new dish. Create special monthly mealtimes where you pick out new recipes with new ingredients, then shop together and prepare the meal together. Even if you don’t love the flavors, at least you’ll have a memorable experience trying something new together.
5. If you’re nervous about becoming an adventurous eater, take baby steps.
It’s as simple as choosing one different fruit or vegetable the next time you’re at the grocery store. As a family, we love trying one new thing – whether it’s introducing the children to mangos for dessert, or trying artichokes or quinoa as a side dish. Introducing a healthy variety of nutritious foods doesn’t have to be difficult. Make sure it’s fun, and reap the dietary benefits.
6. I hate to be Captain Obvious, but only offer healthy snacks.
To raise healthy eaters, keep all the unhealthy junk food out of your home. Stop buying pop, potato chips, sugary cereals, sugary fruit snacks, and whatever other junk your family likes. When your son or daughter asks for a snack, offer a choice between two healthy things – a fruit or vegetable. You’ll be surprised that they really do care if they get a banana or carrot slices.
Do you know an expectant of first-time parent? Help them navigate the first year of feeding their baby with my eBook, First Bites: How To Instill Healthy Eating Habits During Your Baby’s First Year.
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Really Great Tips!
Eating Vegetables during pregnancy is just great for both mom and baby.
I totally agree that what you eat during pregnancy, your child will like. I had gestational diabetes with one of my kids, and ate only vegetables and meats, and what do you know, he loves veggies. He eats some fruits, but will always eat his veggies. I love it!
Funny, I’ve always had a suspicion that a child will grow up to really enjoy his or her mother’s pregnancy cravings. :) I’ve seen it in my brother and cousins, and it certainly seems to be true with my own children.
Helpful, thanks!
Any tips for children who weren’t raised like this? I came into my son’s life just after his 2nd birthday. It is clear the first two years of his life were filled with sweets and processed food. He’ll be 3 in June; but I can’t get him to try most foods, especially if it’s green. He will eat apples and peaches. No veggies though, not even potatoes. Right now I am just at the introducing food over and over again. But no matter how many times I introduce it or how many times his friends eat it he will still have nothing to do with it. He mostly eats processed meats and cheeses. No Turkey, Chicken, Ham, etc. It’s either a nugget, a hot dog/bologna, or nothing. He’ll eat crackers, and sometimes I can get him to eat a PBJ. He does love oatmeal at breakfast, with raisins. We give him a multivitamin and fruit smoothies (he won’t drink them if I make them but if they come in a squeezable pouch he loves them).
I am so sorry you’re facing this challenge, Jennifer! My initial reaction is to keep trying healthy foods. I think you’re on the right track by introducing the food over and over again. I don’t think it’s too late to change his habits, but it just might be a long and frustrating process. I have heard pediatricians mention that children will eat when they’re hungry, so if you only serve nutritious options, that’s what he’ll eventually eat.
Maybe try to make real food versions of his favorite processed foods; my chicken nugget alternative comes to mind: http://accidentallygreen.com/foodie-friday-chicken-nuggets/). There are natural hot dog brands, too – but they’re pretty pricey. It’s good that your son will eat apples and peaches – maybe he would also like something sweet like berries?
This may just be a tricky phase for healthy food and your son; I remember that when my children were somewhere in their toddler years they turned their noses up at certain foods. I didn’t want to turn into a short-order cook, so I kept serving healthy foods. Some days they picked at what was on their plates and other days they gobbled it up. I’ve found that when our snack choices are a variety of fresh fruits and veggies, they pick what they like.
I posed your question on Accidentally Green’s FB page for readers to offer their advice, and Tami suggests:
“I have heard that it takes a toddler 12 times of trying something new, to actually learn to like it. I have 5 kids. My youngest is 2 right now, and I continually offer her things over and over and over. It seems to work for us. I also have a strict 1-meal policy, meaning I make 1 meal and if you don’t eat it, you’ll be hungry. Which sounds cruel when it comes to a small child, but allowing them an hour or so after the family dinner (that they refuse)…they are usually hungry enough to eat what you’re offering. Good luck to you!”
I have a few suggestions from other moms:
Jacque says, “Try waiting till you know he’s getting hungry and fill a cupcake pan with a variety of healthy snacks. Set it on a coffee table or somewhere he can reach it and see if he’ll nibble on a little of it.”
Brenda says, “I think the leaving out healthy options for him to pick up and eat as he wants is a good idea. We have always said you have to at least try one bite of it. If you don’t like it then we don’t force it, but you can’t say you don’t like it if you don’t at least try it. We also never made multiple meals. If you don’t eat it, there might be a second option, but if none of those options appeal then you go hungry. The second option was never anything nearly as filling as the prepared meal.”
Deb said, “We always did the eat it or wait until the next meal thing too….it only took a couple of times until our son ate what we did…..although I’m pretty generic when it comes to food.”
Awesome!! Make one meal for the whole family is a easy yet tricky one.
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