Getting Kids to Eat Healthy Food

[LocavoreT]

How do you get kids to want to eat healthy?   I have been trying to get my children to eat better but no luck so far any ideas.

[Porthos]

What are their ages? Are you more urban, suburban or rural?

[Franci]

Porthos questions are very relevant. My children love French fries but the main of their diet it's pretty healthy for my standards.

Family eating habits, number of meals consumed in the house are also important for me to answer.

[GlorifiedRice]

YOU eat healthy in front of them.

Dont bring crap into the house.

 

In the old days people would take that once a month big trip to the city to do shopping, get scripts filled, drop things off at the cleaners etc.

The kids would get a once a month treat at the soda fountain, coke or cherry phosphate.

 

People didnt have access to all this soda and Little Debbies we have now.

Nowadays kids walk a block to the 7-11 for Gatorade, Slim Jims and Shelf Stable Big Burritos then go the block home to finish up marathons of Halo or Final Fantasy.

Gatorades a SPORTS drink, not for Gamers sitting on the couch.

 

Just stop buying it. When you go to the grocery just 'forget" to buy these things.Forget to buy soda for a whole month, then forget the Poptarts and replace them with

frozen breakfast sandwiches with protein like eggs in them. Add carrots and pickles to the sandwich plate as a side instead of chips...

 

Gradual changes are best.

 

Dont automatically douse veggies with cheese or ranch before trying them on them alone,

Never give babies juice to begin with, its a gateway drug to a lifetime of sugary drink dependency.

I wasnt raised with Wonder bread I was raised with whole wheat, i never buy white bread, it has no flavor to me, so start these habits from jump.

 

Put that junk back to treat status, only to be eaten away from the house.

 

take a family walk after dinner too

 

 

/offsoapbox

[pastrygirl]

You could try not trying:

http://nyti.ms/1kNQQls

Edited June 9, 2014 by pastrygirl (log)

[Plantes Vertes]

Could you be more specific about the problem, eg:

• Do your kids dislike/refuse healthy food?
• Does the household lack knowledge about healthy diet?
• Do they eat erratically (random snacks, eating out of boredom, strange mealtimes)?
• Do they buy unhealthy food when you aren't there or make bad choices at school?
• Do they pester you to about food?

[liuzhou]

This is an issue I"ve been thinking about for years.

 

I have no idea what the reason is, but I have never come across a picky eating child in China. Now, clearly, I have met but a tiny fraction of China's children, so this is a totally unscientific observation. Yet, not one of my friends with kids has ever suggested that their offspring is picky - and I've asked.

 

I often see young kids picking out the healthy bits of the dinner, both at home and in restaurants, and ignoring the less healthy. They chomp down their green vegetables like there is no tomorrow. 

 

College students, unlike those in the west do not, in the main, live on junk food or revolting "experimental cooking". The eat healthily, especially eating a ton of green vegetables and fruit. Few college students have cooking facilities in their accommodation and so tend to use the school canteens or one of several small restaurants nearby. These target themselves mainly at a student clientèle and serve simple but nutritious meals at reasonable prices

 

I guess, and it's only a guess, that the reason for the comparative lack of pickiness may be something to do with: 

 

a) Kids from a very young age are fed what their parents are eating. No special baby meals (although regular meals may be liquidized for the youngest babies.) Even spicy cuisines, such as those of Sichuan or Hunan, are served to kids at full strength.

 

c) Many school (infant, middle school and high school, etc) kids go home for lunch here in the south of China, where lunch break lasts two to three hours, so are less likely to be making bad choices. It is usually granny who cooks, so she may be making more traditional food consisting of mainly vegetables with only a little meat.

 

b) It is deeply ingrained in Chinese culture that food should never be wasted - devastating famines are still a living memory for many (those who survived). This is drummed into kids from birth. (Of course, this is totally contradicted by the massive waste of food at banquets, usually paid for by anyone other than the people eating it - usually taxpayers - but then I've always said that whatever you can say about China, you can say the opposite and both will be true.)

 

c) Contrary to popular belief in some quarters, not all Chinese people are experts in cooking Chinese food - few of my Chinese friends are much good at cooking, although there are a couple of outstanding exceptions - but simple vegetables are about the easiest.

 

Regretfully, this is changing rapidly. American fast food (and Chinese clones thereof) are infesting the land and China is now said to be the second fattest country in the world.

 

I still haven't met any picky eaters, though. 

Edited June 10, 2014 by liuzhou (log)

[dcarch]

Sorry to say this, but you can't win. There is no way.

 

You are trying to fight the opposition, who is putting billions and billions of dollars in research and advertisement to seduce your kids into eating junk.

 

dcarch

[JoNorvelleWalker]

In an effort to get me to clear my plate my mother urged me to remember the starving children in China.  I was born in the US in the 1940's, and I can well believe there were some starving children in China, as there probably were in the US as well.  But I can't understand how my eating all my dinner would help their condition in the least.

 

Later as an orphan I can't say I was ever starving, but there were occasions I didn't always have as much as I would like to eat.  One of my children is a picky eater.  He knows it and is determined not to raise a picky daughter.  They feed her what the adults eat.

[Honkman]

How do you get kids to want to eat healthy?   I have been trying to get my children to eat better but no luck so far any ideas.

If you eat healthy and your kids eat the same as you it shouldn't be a problem. Don't cook anything else gor them beside what you cooked for yourself even if they might say that they don't like it - they will eventually eat it. Always eat all meals together, nevet on the go. Don't snack and don't let your kids snack throughout the day. There are three meals per day for everybody.

[Lbakermathews]

I have a two year old, so I feel your pain. But the truth is that she eats what I eat.  I happen to be a health freak, so that's good, but we still have our struggles with her.  For her the issue has always been--and still is in some instances--texture.  I believe this to be true for most children, they experience food by texture first, then taste. The feel of food is something they are very much learning. Some children adapt to and gain a feel for those textures more quickly than others. I think the problem occurs when we as parents give up.  I have friends who say "Jan only eats quesadilla's, chicken nuggets, and french fry's, she won't eat anything green."  When they say that to me, I always think it's not so much the green as it is the texture of the green.  I give my daughter sauteed spinach and mushrooms, and she almost always eats it all.  But sauteed kale with mushrooms, wasn't her favorite.  She loved the flavor, but the texture was not to her liking.  I had to almost grate the kale for her to eat it and enjoy it.  It's definitely been a process and it takes time, and learning on all sides.   The first time I offered my daughter an apple she frowned and didn't like it.  But I continued to offer it to her, in a variety of ways--juicing it with kale, which she loves and I do it daily.  However, getting her to eat cubes of it was not so successful, she always chewed it up and spit out the pulp--until I started slicing it on a vegetable spiral slicer and called them apple strings.  Now she loves apples, can't eat enough apple strings, requests them multiple times a day, and she swallows the pulp.  My point in saying this is, had I given up and stopped offering her the apple, or had I not tried to find new ways to present her with it, then she would have probably not developed a love for apples.  This doesn't just apply to apples, it applies to most things.  Before I give up on a fruit or vegetable, because she has refused it more than once, I try to find other ways to present it to her with different textures. Thathas seemed to work for me.  She definitely has a sophisticated palate for a 2 year old

[ChrisTaylor]

Disclosure: I'm offering a teacher's perspective here. I teach children aged between six and seven. I do not regularly feed them full meals. I have done some 'food exposure' things with children of this age group before but with my actual classes I only 'enforce' a policy of trying things children are presented with as part of our 'food for everyone' programme, things that I have made with the vegetables we grow as a class and the odd science lesson (learn about bitter/salty/sweet/savoury/sour by testing a variety of things ranging from BBQ sauce to chinotto to white chocolate).

 

Some points:

 

• Pressure. If you come across as 'forcing' a kid into anything, they won't want to partake. Even if you promise that it'll be good. Don't nag them. Again, I say this as a teacher and not a parent. I'm not feeding them their daily meal. If they're unsure encourage them to try it and make it clear that if they dislike the item that is acceptable. You can throw it away if you have a bite and it's no good, although it must a 'real bite' (i.e. not poking your tongue out and allowing the tip to brush against the item). If you really, really, really don't want to even try it that is also okay.
• Pressure. Despite what I said, pressure can be a good thing. Peer pressure, that is. If I offer something to a class some children will say yes straight away and others say no. Many of the 'no' kids will change their mind if friends try the item and like it (or, you know, don't die). You don't need to say a thing. It just happens. This can win over the children that don't want to even look at the item.
• Involving them in the process. We grew the beans, radishes and potatoes we have consumed as a grade. Children harvested them and helped shell the beans. They got their hands quite literally dirty. This was not presented directly as a 'you grew it therefore you must taste it' deal.
• An understanding of what the item is.
• Keep it simple but also make it presentable. I reckon most adults wouldn't count a plate of boiled-to-shit broad beans as a good time. I know I wouldn't. Last year we sauteed our broad bean harvest with bacon and garlic. Really simple but most students that tried it--the vast majority of my grade--liked it. Most had never eaten beans like this before. For our potatoes the pitch was we were making potato wedges from scratch (right down to the potato). For the radishes I simply sliced them and hit them with a store-bought balsamic dressing. Nothing flash but the kinds of sweet/salty/sour flavours children like.
• Start with things that are hard to dislike. I mean, beans cooked lightly in bacon fat? Tomatoes cooked down to a sauce and served with pasta? Everyone likes those things. If you can develop a bit of trust with that sort of thing you can slowly get more and more interesting.

[gfweb]

The concept of "healthy food" needs some definition, I think. As far as i can see its not the food that's unhealthy, but the mixture of foods that is. For example a handful of french fries, and apple, a hardboiled egg and a few stalks of asparagus is a reasonably "balanced" meal (not that each meal needs to be balanced to be healthful). Eating a meal that is solely any one of those is unbalanced.  Eating only carbs every day is as unbalanced as eating only eggs.

 

Perhaps one of the difficulties in getting kids to eat right is our distorted concept of what a good diet is. Carbs and fat aren't bad in themselves. Don't expect a kid to shun the stuff that tastes good.

[annachan]

Growing up, we ate what our parents ate. There wasn't a separate meal for kids. Didn't know vegetables are supposed to be healthy or that kids are not supposed to like them. There were certain fruits/vegs I didn't like as a kid (still don't), but since I ate most of the other fruits and vegs, there was not need to force me to eat the ones I didn't like. There was never a discussion about you needing to eat this because it's healthy. You eat it because it's what everyone at home is eating. For me, shopping and learning to cook from my gradmother probably helped.

[TicTac]

The key is starting from a young age.

 

My son is now 15 months old.  He has had 'dessert' once in his life, a small chocolate cake (home made, of course) for his 1st birthday whereby he got to embed his face into it, enjoy the thrill of sparkles and chocolate, which then led to 3 hours of absolute mayhem with a 3 hour marathon of trying to get to sleep that night.

 

Why do people give their kids (excuse my french here) - shit to eat?  Sugar should in fact be classified as a drug, so why would anyone give their kids pop, let alone processed crap?  Often its the parents that feel they enjoy those things so they want to see their children get joy as well (clearly coming from a good place) they just forget the fact that children know no better.

 

We have made a serious effort to only feed our children home made foods (locally sourced or 'organic') where we can, but absolutely to avoid the 'middle isles' and thus ensuring no processed 'shelf stable' crap makes its way into their mouths. 

 

If they grow up enjoying eating veggies (granted there will always be some that for whatever reason, texture in my sons distaste for broccoli - as when I blend it, he loves it) they will continue to enjoy them through life.  Sure there may be some months/years where fussiness abides, but one must hold true to their beliefs and lead by example.

Edited June 10, 2014 by TicTac (log)

[Allura]

Much of what I'm trying has been mentioned above, but my best resource for this blogger (no affiliation other than I bought her book): http://www.itsnotaboutnutrition.com/home/ . She has some good advice about introducing new things and suggests that you want to start by introducing the concept of variety within meals and between them. In other words, never the same foods twice or two breakfasts in a row, etc. Differnt brands or types of the same thing. And that "new" doesn't have to equal "bad." Try new ice cream, for instance. Or whatever they do like already, a new flavor of. She approaches it from psychology, not nutrition.

[TicTac]

Pre 4-5 years old, I don't understand why parents would give their kids things like ice cream, chips, chocolate bars, etc (even post that age, to be honest).

 

In terms of introducing new foods, remember, often it is the texture that bothers kids, understanding kids eating habits, likes/dislikes would allow you to introduce flavours (broccoli soup vs. sauteed) as well as the benefits of said food (from a nutritional perspective) and eventually varying the method of preparation.

[Lbakermathews]

I absolutely give my daughter ice-cream. Her favorite is lavender vanilla bean. I make it myself and put a ton of egg yolks--which are full of omega fats-- in it, and I use maple sugar to sweeten it.  Fat is great for a young developing brain.  Ice-cream isn't bad just because it's sweet, it's high in protein and good fats. This is coming from someone who feeds her child an all organic diet. I don't buy any processed foods, I make everything from marshmallows,and graham crackers, from scratch--without the refined sugars.

[TicTac]

lbakermathews - you however are not the norm as most people do not make their own ice-cream.

 

Much of what one makes at home (sweets in this case), unless it contains oodles of refined sugars/processed nonsense/butter in them, are OK - in limited (very) quantities.  I simply prefer not to give my kids sugar laden desserts unless its a very special occasion; but prefer fruit instead (or a home made frozen fruit 'pop', ices, etc)

 

I would suggest however that there are not a lot of 'good fats' in cream (research if you believe otherwise),  and don't fool yourself, maple sugar is still sugar (yes , not refined, which is great), and sugar is not something that any kid NEEDS, per say (though I will be the first to admit some local maple syrup has made its way into the little fellas banana bran muffins).

[GlorifiedRice]

Sugar is sugar.

 

1 cup heavy cream has a paltry 2 grams protein..

 

Therefore ice cream  is fatty sugar, yummy but still not good for every day

[Porthos]

LocavoreT, I hope we haven't scared you away with the various opinions expressed here. I still hope to hear of the ages of your kids and if you are urban/suburban or rural. That will help greatly in giving you specific suggestions that relate to your children.

[Honkman]

The key is starting from a young age.

 

My son is now 15 months old.  He has had 'dessert' once in his life, a small chocolate cake (home made, of course) for his 1st birthday whereby he got to embed his face into it, enjoy the thrill of sparkles and chocolate, which then led to 3 hours of absolute mayhem with a 3 hour marathon of trying to get to sleep that night.

 

Why do people give their kids (excuse my french here) - shit to eat?  Sugar should in fact be classified as a drug, so why would anyone give their kids pop, let alone processed crap?  Often its the parents that feel they enjoy those things so they want to see their children get joy as well (clearly coming from a good place) they just forget the fact that children know no better.

 

We have made a serious effort to only feed our children home made foods (locally sourced or 'organic') where we can, but absolutely to avoid the 'middle isles' and thus ensuring no processed 'shelf stable' crap makes its way into their mouths. 

 

If they grow up enjoying eating veggies (granted there will always be some that for whatever reason, texture in my sons distaste for broccoli - as when I blend it, he loves it) they will continue to enjoy them through life.  Sure there may be some months/years where fussiness abides, but one must hold true to their beliefs and lead by example.

 

I agree on most of what you said beside your "fear" of any kind of dessert/sweets (and fat in a late post). Desserts shouldn't be a every day routine for kids but if you have "balanced" meals together with your kid every day having some high quality sweets from time to time is actually better than having it once or twice a year and the kid will crave it in the future. Sugar and fats by itself are nothing unhealthy - they only become unhealthy if you/your kid eats them all the time in too high amounts. Our daughter (2.5 years) often picks fresh fruits ot vegetables when she has the choice between them or some high quality sweets and part of it is not pretending that sweets are evil but can be part of a balanced diet. 

[TicTac]

I have no fear of any kind of desserts or sweets, but a baby (15 month old in my case) surely has no need whatsoever (nor are outside influences going to impact any 'binge eating', at least for years to come) for desserts, aside from special occasions.  I stick to my point that for kids under 2-3+ years of age who know no better (unless they were brought up with it) do not need desserts (it is only the parents perception, or desire to see their kids 'enjoy' sweets) on any sort of 'regular' basis.

 

Fats I have no issue with, organic avocados are a big part in my sons diet (at least 2-3x per week it is apart of his meals), but useless fats, like cream, fried crap, etc, are totally unnecessary,

[cakewalk]

I have no fear of any kind of desserts or sweets, but a baby (15 month old in my case) surely has no need whatsoever (nor are outside influences going to impact any 'binge eating', at least for years to come) for desserts, aside from special occasions.  I stick to my point that for kids under 2-3+ years of age who know no better (unless they were brought up with it) do not need desserts (it is only the parents perception, or desire to see their kids 'enjoy' sweets) on any sort of 'regular' basis.

 

Fats I have no issue with, organic avocados are a big part in my sons diet (at least 2-3x per week it is apart of his meals), but useless fats, like cream, fried crap, etc, are totally unnecessary,

"Need" is not the issue being discussed. We don't "need" most of what we eat.

[annabelle]

I'm with annachan on this.  My folks always fed us what they were having and I did the same with my children.

 

We're all built like whippets, so I guess we're doing something right even though I bake a lot.