Moms, Keep Up The Good Work
I love Mother’s Day because my kids and husband go out of their way to pamper me. Every year, it’s breakfast in bed, and lots of great cards and gifts. We feast on bagels, bacon, eggs, and treats like chocolate dipped strawberries, or just straight chocolate.
Then it’s back to reality. Eating-wise, that is.
When you’re a dietitian, people assume your children are genetically programmed to prefer baked potatoes to tater tots, roasted chicken to fried chicken nuggets, and fruit to candy. They also presume that you deny your children foods packed with fat, sugar, salt, or any combination of the three.
Neither is true in my family. However, our eating habits are far from perfect.
My children are like so many other kids who wonder why so many fruits and vegetables show up on their plates, why I always buy whole wheat bread instead of the preferred white, and why I serve milk at every meal.
Yet, my girls freely admit to anyone who asks (“Your mother doesn’t let you eat junk food, does she?”) that our kitchen is always stocked with goodies including candy, cookies, and ice cream. Does that mean I’ve achieved the balance between “foods to grow on” and “fun foods” that I crave as a mom? I’m not so sure.
I may be a dietitian/mother, but that combo doesn’t spare me from the challenges of feeding my family right. And it doesn’t make me much different than the millions of other moms who work hard to put healthy foods on the table.
As a mom, I think you’ll agree that helping children to make smart eating choices is not always easy. But our vigilance is worth it, now, and in the long run. We won’t be around forever to prepare balanced meals and snacks for our children, and when our kids are older, they’ll need to know how to make their own healthy food choices.
Here are some techniques you can use to get your kids interested in healthier foods at any age.
Stifle selective eating. Kids are naturally selective eaters whose preferences are constantly evolving. One day they love broccoli and you think you’re home free, and the next day they won’t even look at it. Don’t take it personally when your child rejects what you’ve prepared. Depending on his age, it could just be a phase, or he may not be feeling well that day. Continue to offer a variety of healthy foods, and show him you think it’s important to eat those foods, too.
Cultivate a vested interest. Grow a garden or some potted tomatoes, and have children take care of some of the plants and harvest the results. Or visit farmer’s markets to expose kids to different types of fruits and vegetables.
Give children some veto power. Too much food restriction will surely backfire. Allow older children to plan meals with you and figure out what to buy to keep healthy ingredients on hand. Take the younger ones shopping to get them accustomed to the grocery store.
Let them cook with you. When she was only three, my middle child began cooking dinner with me. She would drag a kitchen chair over to where I was standing in order to reach the countertop and help me. It took more time to prepare meals, but to this day, she is an avid cook and adventurous eater. My youngest, who is rather restricted in her food choices, likes to cook, too. A few years ago, she started making pancakes every weekend for the family. I’d love to say she makes blueberry pancakes, but, more often than not, her cooking involves chocolate chips. Oh well, you can’t have everything!
Happy Mother’s Day!
Liz Ward