Healthy Eating: Starting Your Kids Off Right

 The following is a guest post from one of my dearest friends, Alice Seuffert. 

Alice is a St. Paul Mom, wife, full-time employee in education, food blogger and the Kitchen Star on the television show, Twin Cities Live.  You can access her blog that contains tons of fabulous original recipes at http://diningwithalice.blogspot.com/ and follow her on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/diningwithalice or Twitter: @aliceseuffert or @diningwithalice

I am a mom that likes to cook and make food fun and creative. 
I often get asked:

How I get my 2 ½ year old to eat everything I serve?

Is there a secret?

Does she really eat salad?

Do you puree veggies into regular food?

These are just a few of the many questions I receive.  I truly believe the investment you make early on in your child’s eating habits must be viewed as strong as any other child-rearing commitment you make.  It is an investment that will reap many rewards; teaching your child how to eat and enjoy a balanced diet as well as build a foundation of good health for now and later life. 

Here is my story-how I guided my daughter to a path of healthy eating with a few pokes and prods (rules) along the way. 

I chose to breast feed my daughter for 19 months.  When I decided to start solids, I talked to my pediatrician and was told it was really up to me on what to introduce first; veggies or fruit.  I actually did some homework and mapped out a plan for introducing the foods.  I read books and researched online about the introduction of various foods. Each week, I made a list of fruits, veggies, meats, nuts, dairy products and seafood and would plan my week of introduction.  It was fun to see the list grow on my fridge.  Plus, as an added benefit, it helped with daycare instructions as I could be specific on what she could and should not have.

I did not allow companies or grocers to dictate through baby food jars what I should be serving my child; I decided myself.  I followed the “Dirty Dozen” organic lists and I made my own baby food.   When making the baby food, I would use my breast milk as the liquid. 

When the time came around for finger foods, I opted for options outside of puffs, yogurt melts and cheerios.   Instead, I offered small pieces of fruits and veggies.   I also kept her away from squeezable packages of fruits and vegetables and offered her the real thing.  Even when on the go, I packaged her fresh foods in a neoprene lunch bag.  Onlookers gave me weird looks when they witnessed me handing my little girl brussel sprouts to gnaw on!  I should note too, she didn’t love everything the first time, but I didn’t give up, I continually offered her the food, and eventually she accepted it.

But everything changes when they are a toddler, right? It doesn’t have to.  Since toddlers are so independent and want to be big helpers, I let my daughter help prepare her meals (I decide what she is going to eat and she scoops it on her plate).   Recently I was making dinner and had a plate of asparagus sitting out that I was planning to serve with dinner and as I was cooking she “snuck” no less than 5 spears-she ate what was available.  Consider that when feeding your child, what is available in your house? If you only offer hot dogs, spaghetti os and macaroni and cheese each night is it any wonder your child sticks her nose up when you attempt to serve them a real “adult looking” meal?  Serve your child what you are having for dinner and don’t be a short order cook-if they know there are other options, they will demand those options.  Toddlers are all about choices too, “would you like tomatoes or peas with your dinner?”  Encourage choices but guide the options, bring them to the grocery store, “would you like meatloaf or spaghetti and meatballs for dinner?”  Trips to the grocery store can also be a lesson on colors, letters and numbers as you browse through the produce section.  If you have a farmers market close by, bring them along.  They will have fun picking their veggies!

Finally, as with healthy adult eating, you have to find a balance in life and there are “special” time foods.  Do we have sweets? Yes, I love to bake and cupcakes are her favorite.  In our house we don’t eat fast food and my daughter has no idea what McDonalds is but we do walk to our local burger restaurant for special occasions.  Again, you as the parent create the foundation and then determine when the time is appropriate for “special” foods. 

Below is a list of healthy eating rules I have established for our family.

Healthy Eating Rules:

·      Healthy eating rules need to be a practice by the whole family.  Both parents need to be on board and you must also include care providers-daycare as well as grandparents and babysitters.

·      Offer snacks that are real food-fruit, veggies, nuts, dried fruits, cheese (instead of puffs, yogurt melts and cereal) and be careful about when you offer the foods as to not fill up before mealtime.

·      Avoid using food as entertainment.  While it is tempting to offer food to avoid meltdowns during certain times, children can consume large amounts of “entertainment snacks” while you sit through church, wait for your meal to arrive or during your coffee meeting with a friend. After consuming so many snacks they won’t be hungry to actually eat a real meal.

·      Don’t offer flavored milk, I also avoid all juice except for smoothies.  Milk at meal times and water at all other times.

·      Offer fruits and vegetables in a manner in which you would like your child to enjoy them in the future (do you want your child to always eat fruit or veggies out of squeeze pouch or secretly mixed into food).  Along the same lines, avoid regularly saucing or putting cheese on veggies.

·       When eating at a restaurant share your meal with your child.  Children’s meal options are rarely healthy and sharing forces you to eat healthy too.

·      Give your child their entire meal at once.  It is tempting to give the meat and veggies first and bread and fruit after they eat the first two items but it is important for them to understand the food as a meal and that you expect them to eat what you have provided.  Toddlers are smart and catch on quickly when you show them veggies, etc aren’t preferred foods. 

·      Don’t be a short-order cook.  Make the meal and serve it, “this is what is for dinner”-don’t offer alternatives.  If the child doesn’t like what is served that is fine and they can get down from the table after you determine mealtime to be over.  Your child will learn that you as the parent determine what is being served (not them).  Prepare for a “hungry and more willing to try something new” child at the next meal. 

·      Avoid “children’s meals”-macaroni and cheese, hot dogs, frozen kids meals, packaged “toddler” meals, etc.  If you continually provide these foods as meals, children will expect them and introducing a cut up chicken breast with plain veggies will likely not go over well.

·      Avoid condiments unless it is dressing for a salad or part of a recipe.

·      Don’t say things like, “She won’t like that, she doesn’t eat broccoli” or “She doesn’t like spicy foods.” Most importantly, don’t say things like “I hate mushrooms” or “That doesn’t look good.”  When you make disparaging comments, your child uses that as a gauge and makes decisions about eating what is presented to them based on how you react.

Establishing healthy eating in your family is a marathon, not a jog around the block.  You need to take your time, prepare, train, and go with the ups and downs; every step is not necessarily predictable.  Take each meal one step at a time; something they hated yesterday may be something they love tonight.