I would just like to preface this that I am no perfect parent. My kids (now ages 5 and 8) have definitely eaten some artificial junk I wish they didn’t but I like to take a wider lens and make sure that more often than not they are getting nutrients and whole foods in.
I am passionate about this because the chronic diseases I see in the hospital do not develop overnight. They start from habits we form in childhood (and obviously this is much more complex than just the food but we’ll focus on the food part here). Diabetes, fatty liver, mental health issues are closely tied to how we eat and are very preventable. That being said despite my parents being health conscious and feeding me well while I was little, a lot of my teen and adult life was spent eating convenience/premade foods and a bunch of not so great things. But the point is, you can change your habits and have faith that even if your kids don’t care for your efforts now, don’t lose hope. One day they might come around on their own time 🙂
Here are a few tips that I have found worked for our family but depending on the day, we are a constant work in progress:
- Put shared plates in the middle of the table. I used to put their meal on a plate and then put the plate on the table, but I have had much more success when I just put a bowl of rice or a plate of meat, veggies in the centre and they get things on their own. Everyone involved has to have some veggies so it becomes the norm for them over time.
- Don’t force it. My youngest kiddo essentially hated all vegetables other than red pepper for years. Only now is he starting to open up to a piece of cauliflower. I find pushing the agenda too hard backfires so work with their comfort zone and slowly advance. I have forced it on occasion…outcome – unsatisfactory for everyone involved.
- Make a game of whose plate has the most colours. It engages them in a playful way and sometimes they will even try something new when you least expect it.
- Keep exposing them to different things. Make it very non threatening. Eg. I literally will put a crumb size portion if it’s something they are hesitant to try as they feel more in control and will be more open to trying it.
- Engage them in the cooking process when you have time if that’s your thing. If it’s a weekend I’m not working, we will often make something together and I just have to work on myself to interfere less and allow the mess!
- Share what different foods are good for. One of my kiddos eats broccoli really well. I really praise her for that and tell her about all the benefits for her body.
- Grow some of your own food. It’s our first year growing some herbs and veggies in our backyard. I can’t say my kids are wolfing down parsley now but they were curious to try it (they rated it as “disgusting” lol) and they are both adamant that they hate tomatoes but all of a sudden as our tomatoes were ripening, I heard “maybe I’ll try it” and they did!
- Keep processed food to a minimum in the house. When it’s not there, it’s a non issue. Once someone brings some into the house, then it’s constant bargaining about “can we have some smarties” as just one example.
- Grind flaxseed and pumpkin seeds and add to baking, smoothies, meet sauces. Pumpkin seeds are rich in zinc which can be very beneficial for kiddos with eczema, so I add it to their baked apple crumble or sprinkle it into a beef/tomato sauce as an example.
All that being said – the journey always starts with us. Am I taking care of what I am putting into my body? Am I moving? Am I noticing how that drink makes me feel? You don’t need your kids, or your partner to be on board. You have to be on board with your goals first.
Adopt what feels right for you and discard the rest!
Dasha