We actually heard those words last night at the dinner table. When I think about how far our family has come the last 2 + years, I'm so proud of the progress that has been made. To clarify, we have never been horrible eaters but we were not as diligent as we are these days. When Hudson was first born I was super picky about what he ate. I made wonderful homemade baby food for him and the first 18 months or so of his life, he ate great. Then the picky toddler stage started and I gave in to many things and we ended up with a kid that loved nothing more than chicken nuggets and fish sticks. I always had a knot in my stomach when I would reflect on what he was eating but I found it hard to get him to try new things. Luckily he would eat most fruits but veggies were another story. So I found myself, like most moms, giving in and lowering my expectations for his diet. One day, it seemed that the light bulb came on and I realized that our family would need to make some big changes in order to get my family to eat the way I envisioned. Thankfully, these changes were made around the time Cooper joined our family and he is a great eater because it's really all he's ever known. Let me say that these changes did not take place overnight. We had many nights where tears were shed over the 3 green beans that had not been touched. We don't force our kids to clean their plates but we do ask them to try new things. Hudson has found that he likes many foods that he had never even tried. Who knew that a breakfast burrito (with just eggs and tortilla) could be so yummy? To this day, he is still somewhat picky and will investigate everything on his plate. We often hear things like "what's that red thing?" or "I don't want that" but he has improved SO much lately. One thing I am adament about is that our kids eat what we eat. I don't make special meals just for them (unless there is a rare occasion that I make something really spicy that I know they won't eat) and they know that if they don't eat dinner then they don't get anything else. They have learned to enjoy meals such as pot roast with veggies, tilapia, meatloaf, baked cod, flank steak, etc....... The days of chicken nuggets and fish sticks are over for us. We have a few in our freezer but it's not the bulk of what they eat anymore.
I've had people ask me what we eat and what changes we have made. I'm sure I'll leave something out but here is what I can think of off the top of my head:
1. We try to eat organic whenever we can. This means meat, dairy, produce.....
2. Increase our fresh produce intake....we ditch the canned fruits and veggies (will eat some frozen)
3. Limit processed foods. We rarely eat "boxed" meals but occasionally my kids will eat some mac and cheese for lunch or have some crackers with their sandwiches.
4. We no longer eat foods that contain High Fructose Corn Syrup. This is a HUGE undertaking. HFCS is in just about everything and it takes some time and attention to do this. Every once in a while I will still see this on a label in our house - it's something that I'm constantly having to look out for. It's frustrating that I'm forced to buy the $8 Pure Maple Syrup instead of the $2 Aunt Jemima...but when I compare the ingredients it's a clear decision for me.
5. We drink mostly water and very rarely have juice. I'm not saying that juice is necessarily bad (in limited amounts) - I just prefer to give my kids a fresh piece of fruit and have them wash it down with water. They get way more fiber and nutrients from that versus the juice.
6. Sweets and desserts are few and far between around here. Don't feel bad for my kids......they get their share of yummy treats and snacks. It just seems that between all the birthday parties and celebrations we attend, our kids get their fair share of cake without having it around here too.
Is our family perfect? No. Do we eat bad at times? Sure. We have our occasional Chick-fil-A run or pizza night from Mr. Jims. This post isn't to paint the picture that we do this perfectly or that we do it every single time. Our goal is to provide the best nutrition for our kids and to educate them along the way. I know that I've got a handful of years where I have control of what my kids put in their mouths. I can only hope that once they are older that they will make good choices and remember what we have taught them. I am constantly researching and reading about this topic. I know that I still have a TON to learn in this area. Do you have any good tips on feeding your kids or getting them to be healthy eaters?
5 comments:
I am glad to hear that you had some battles along the way to healthy eating. I, too, only cook one thing for supper except on rare occasions when we are eating something much too "adult" for the kids. There are nights when Evelyn eats nothing for supper. I am hoping she eventually comes around to eating like a normal person!
I am proud of your perserverance. Sydney is a GREAT eater. She eats just about anything. Sam is so picky. You can see him inspect everything he has on his plate. He's even that way with sweets - he doesn't care for most of them. I think it's so funny how they will eat things at school that they never eat at home. Peer pressure, I guess. Thanks for the tips :)
Our rule is that the kids taste it once every few months. If they detest it, spit it out. I respect them liking or not liking something. Foods are not wasted. They have to retaste it within 2-3 months. WI never really fought the fast food thing b/c I was creative at home. At 11 and 13, they are both really good eaters and make good choices. I don't consider Chick Fil A or pizza 'bad' though...just eat it in moderation.
I also used reverse psyc...when K had a 'sweet' tooth while very young, I kept saying "gosh, its funny how you don't seem to want sweets that much anymore." Then one day a few months later, SHE said she didn't want sweets that much anymore....and she didn't!
u r encouraging me to make a switch...when i think about it we are puttin nasty stuff in our bodies!
I have been through everything w/ Gracie & nothing seems to work. Do your kids get bedtime snacks? Gracie will try everything on her plate, but NEVER likes it. So frustrating.....
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