As Parents, How do you help...

Jenn_W · October 2011

Your child(ren) make better food choices?

My six year old son only wants to eat hot dogs and chips, or any other processed food. I eat pretty good most of the time and hoped my habits would start to encourage better habits in him. (Single Parent - Try my hardest to lead by example!)

I limit the amount of 'junk' food we buy at the store. If we get it I try to show what a serving looks like. I try to explain (without talking a weight) how much you are supposed to eat. I 'eat healthy to be healthy' I explain to him. ( I buy lower sodium/no sugar added stuff... Pretzels instead of chips/ turkey hot dogs... etc.)

So, without forcing or ever buying junk, what have you done, read, seen, hope to do to encourage better habits?

(Websites, books, etc)
**Please forgive any spelling or grammar errors.**
Thanks so much!
Jenn

SergeantSunshine_reused · October 2011

Keep introducing them to new healthy foods to try? skinnytaste.com has many easy kid friendly recipes that they might love!

(not a parent but thought i could help

) Good job for encouraging healthy habits in you kids! :]

UsedToBeHusky · October 2011

At 6 yrs old, you still have time. Make healthy snacks fun and interesting, like ants on a log or something else healthy.

My kids are 12 yrs and 8 yrs. The 8 yr old has a slight weight problem so she is interested in eating healthier. The 12 yr old, on the other hand, wants no part of it. She is slight framed so she can be somewhat underweight and believes that she doesn't need to eat healthy. I've tried to explain that eating healthy is not just for overweight people, but she is young and has the metabolism of an antelope. :ohwell:

mrsfoose · October 2011

Like you I just don't keep it in the house. If we want a sweet treat we make it. When my daughter was a toddler I would make her turkey dogs, but I also foisted fruits and veggies at her constantly. She pretty much knows that a treat is just that, a treat. If she wants a snack now she'll dig a yogurt, apple, or string cheese out of the refrigerator. The only down side to it all is that she pretty much won't eat any meat unless I bread and bake some chicken fingers.

JulieBoBoo · October 2011

When my youngest was 6 she got extremely picky and I finally decided that I'd had enough. I made healthy food, put small portions on her plate and gave her the option of eating or not. For about two weeks she cried at almost every meal. Now, months later, she will eat what she is given even if it's not her favourite. I do allow her a few "no force" foods such as mushrooms, but for the most part, I expect her to eat it and after a period of adjustment she's come to understand that that's how we roll here. It helps that she sees her older sister eating the same food.

idauria · October 2011

One thing I do is not make separate meals for them. They eat what we eat. However they do eat a lot of other junk and I am in the process of changing things. I want them to eat less processed stuff and less sugar. Neither of them have weight issues thankfully but I want them to learn how to make healthier choices. I think what you are doing is great! Just keep it up. Eventually they will learn from you how to eat better. But in general if it's not in the house or if you don't offer junk they won't eat it. Keep lots of fruit and carrot/celery sticks handy.

bcampbell54 · October 2011

Kids always want to eat "fun" stuff. If you don't have it, they won't see it, and they won't ask for it.
Kids also like to be protected and kept somewhat under control; you don't need to be their friend, or to acquiesce to their every demand.
Your example is the thing that will stick with them, however. Show them the right way now, and it will last forever.

erzille · October 2011

I am slowly trying to help my kids...my oldest is overweight...he is 9. Right now I am focusing on portion control with him...and getting him to exercise. I found some kids strenght exerices in a fitness magazine using a ball and the kids have a blast with it. I let him walk on the treadmill. (about .5- 1 mile) The other two like doing taebo or zumba with me. Our biggest issue at home is the snacking and portion control. I hate telling him that he can't eat more...but when it comes to his favorite foods..he can eat more than me!

erickirb · October 2011

It is easier to start healthy, then to make changes.

Why does your child even know what those things are? My son is younger but we never introduce any junk (no white bread, no sugar, etc) this way he will not know what he is missing.

You can start hiding veggies in things he likes such as mac and cheese (don't do KD though, make you own), pizza sauce, pasta sauce, etc.

UsedToBeHusky · October 2011

Judgmental much? Seriously, a lot of us are only just beginning to make good choices ourselves.

maidentl · October 2011

You just keep bringing in new healthy things and pushing out the others. My kids still get some "junk" because I want them to learn moderation. But eventually they will try the things you bring in and learn new favorites. Also,at that age, and actually for a few more years, buy something for yourself and don't offer him any and rave about how good it is. LOL My little one wouldn't eat anything you offered him but oh man, if you didn't offer and he could tell you were enjoying it, would decide he needed to give it a try. :laugh:

Summerleahd · October 2011

We try not to keep it in the house. But I dont completely forbid it. We still have hotdogs for dinner, or pizza, then the next night we will have chicken and salad. And I always serve her what I'm eating. I never make her a separate meal Unless it's something she hates, or if it's spicey, then I will let her have something else. I also try and serve a veggie with everymeal. Even breakfast sometimes. She may not always eat it, but its there. She will throw a fit sometimes when I give her a cookie and she wants another one and I say no. But I am the parent. And she gets over it. May throw a tantrum, but you can't give in. I also don't force her to eat. She wont let herself starve.and I don't want her to resent the food I'm serving her. Lol he will resist at first, but it takes time. She's only two so I know it's probably easier for me then it would be an older child. (I think) but just don't give in.

ABetterBalance · October 2011

I'm a mean mom.

I've been told this because I don't "let" my kids eat a lot of junk. My kids eat fairly healthy, but my daughter (also six) is a picky eater. She has very few foods that she likes and it can be a struggle to get her to eat others.

What has worked for us:
1) The kids go shopping with me, and each get to pick one vegetable and one fruit (more if I need more) My daughter has discovered that she loves plums, peaches, and carrots because she was more willing to try things she picked herself.

2) I cook with my kids, and they have a lot of say in what we choose each night, how we cook it, etc... Like above, my daughter is more willing to eat something she helped make.

3) We try new foods or recipes at least once a month, usually once a week. This helps a LOT. We found out that our kids love fresh green beans and snap peas, but neither one likes canned (and my daughter doesn't like frozen either) Finding a new way to prepare a familiar vegetable helped.

4) I do not force foods. We have a rule that they have to try everything, but there is no "clean your plate" type of thing in our house. They will eat it if they like it, and if they don't like it, forcing them to eat isn't going to help anything.

5) I cook one dinner, and only one. They can eat it or not, that is their choice. If they are hungry, they will eat. *This* has led to my SIL accusing me of being mean, and my BIL telling me he would rather feed his kids McDonald's than make them starve. Considering that they pick out the foods at the store AND help decide what we cook each night, I hardly think that's cruel. They are given plenty of choices and opprtunity to decline something before it is made- so if pure stubborness leads to them not eating, there's not much I can do about it.

MummaAimz · October 2011

I got lucky on this front....my childrens grandparents live on a big farm where they grow 90%of their own produce, and they raise over 90% of their own meat. My kids have always made the heathly choice simply just from their upbringing...my 7 year old always packs his own lunches for school and he has a check list...he has to have at least one fruit, one veg, yogurt, a sandwich (or something hot like soup or pasta if its reaaally cold outside), juice and a treat...my 3 year old threw out a cookie at the grocery store the other day when the clerk offered her an apple!
Try making a check list for your kids for lunches? See if that helps and then move on to dinner and breakfast ideas?

erickirb · October 2011

which is why I gave options on how to fit in healthy food, but suggested it is easier not to introduce those foods in the first place, which may help some with young children that read the thread.

So, no not judgmental, just giving my opinion. Judgmental would have been me calling her a bad parent for doing so, I never did that and am not making that assumption.

baisleac · October 2011

Easy. Eat what we eat or don't eat at all.

UsedToBeHusky · October 2011

You wouldn't call this judgmental?

Gigi_licious · October 2011

Even when I was married I was a single parent, and even though I have been fat since I had her I have always taught her healthy eating. I would be eating crap and making her eat veggies and healthy stuff. My daughters favorite food is broccoli. She asks for it, begs for it. I've never understood why parents feed their kids the bad **** when they are trying to eat healthier. My kid eats what I eat. Her choices are that or nothing. If I'm having baked something or other with veggies, she's having baked something or other with veggies, and she LIKES it. Don't give them a choice and don't buy the "bad" stuff. Simple as that. We keep chocolate and stuff in the house, she knows she can only have 1 or 2 pieces. I'm hoping that by losing weight while still eating real food I will be teaching her that you can still be healthy and enjoy good food.

But simple answer is, if they're hungry enough, they'll eat what you're having and eventually they'll start liking that kind of stuff. Just like you did when you went from all crap to better choices. They're people just like us....just shorter and younger.

erickirb · October 2011

No, again judgmental would be me saying she is a bad parent for having her child know what they are, asking a question is not judgmental, as no judgment was made. To be judgmental you have to make a judgment.

UsedToBeHusky · October 2011

K. :indifferent: Well maybe you should consider that not everyone perceives your statements as you do.

Jenn_W · October 2011

Judge me if you wish. But if you haven't notice the pretty little ticker... 100# is almost gone... I am changing my bad habits.

I didn't learn those skills from my parents. Thus the lack of them to pass on to my child. I don't want my son to grow up obese. I want to give him the tools to be healthy. He and I are very active. (I do not own a car, we have to walk everywhere... I bike to work... we play football/soccer/outside... etc.)

I wish this came natural to me, but years of making under $20K-and not poor enough for state aid- fast food and junk became a part of our lifes. I didn't have the tools to do better, but moving forward I want to help us both.

I am sure you are a prefect parent, Congrats! I am still a work in process.

Unknown · October 2011

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scraver2003 · October 2011

This is great until he goes away to college and learns about white bread, sugar, etc.

Unknown · October 2011

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kateroot · October 2011

If it's not good for them, don't buy it. They can't eat junk if it's not in the house. When I was growing up, if I didn't like what was for dinner then I went hungry. That's the philosophy I subscribe to.

KatFierce · October 2011

I offer my 2 year old choices, " do you want oranges or apples?". His favorite foods right now are cheese ravioli, macaroni and cheese, hot dogs, pancakes, sausage, and grilled cheese sandwiches. So if he has macaroni and cheese with hot dogs for lunch he gets one veggie and one fruit option. You have to eat all of one of the fruit and veg choices before you get more hot dogs or mac adn cheese. I also give him milk with meals, but he has the choice of vanilla almond milk, chocolate soy milk, or plain cows milk. I always offer a fruit or veg first as a snack choice, and when I get a large bag or box of snack items ( chips cookies etc.) I divide them into single servings and put them in the cabinet that way, so he can choose his snack and its already only a serving size so hes used to seeing exactly how much you should eat.

scraver2003 · October 2011

My 2 and 1/2 year old is mostly veggetarian... I can't hardly get the little booger to eat anything meat. Except the "good stuff": bacon, pepperoni, etc. My SIL was drinking a fruit smoothie one day and my son was all over that. I am going to start experimenting more with that. So making smoothies might be fun?

We signed up for a CSA early this year. From May up until yesterday, once a week, we would pick up our veggies from the farm. I had NO idea that fresh, organic veggies straight from the farm would taste SO different - SO MUCH better - than from the store. Those days, I would pick up my son from daycare and then take him to the farm to pick up our veggies. Each week, he would get excited about the trip to the farm. It got to where he would start snacking on the veggies on the way home. I think I have the only toddler that will say "yuckies" to mac 'n' cheese and then go crazy over broccoli and carrots. (just, please don't ask me about "Sponge Bob Gogurts")

Getting to my point... maybe find a way to get your son more excited about healthier foods? maybe pick out a recipe together, make a big deal of going to the store to get the ingredients... and then have him help cook it. He could help rinse veggies. He could lay ingredients in a dish. Etc.

SergeantSunshine_reused · October 2011

Im sure that he will know about it way before college :P not sheltered.

The child can still be taught growing up what healthy food is, and to be open to a variety of foods.

bcattoes · October 2011

When my kids were young I simply made dinner and put it on the table and we ate. There was no discussion of whether they wanted to eat junk food instead of the meal I'd prepared. If there was a food they didn't particularly like I didn't force them to eat it, but I didn't offer them junk as a replacement. For example, my oldest has never liked lima beans. So if lima beans were on the menu, she ate the other foods and skipped the beans.

Junk food was reserved for treats. I was also a single parent and didn't really have the money back then to buy junk for every meal or prepare a different meal for each person, but I wouldn't have done it even if I had.

erickirb · October 2011

he will learn about it, just not have it. My wife and I are both big into nutrition and we will be instilling this into our children. Just like teaching them not to hit people, steal, cheat, etc.

re a different response (not the one quoted)
Lucky for us our school systems do not provide lunches, parents do, so I will be making my child's lunch with tasty, fun nutritious food. We will teach them to make good choices at a young age so the other crap will disgust them. A co-worker of my wife did this with her daughter, and when the daughter ate fast food she thought it was gross and made her feel like ****. If you eat healthy most of the time the crap food is not very appealing.

jacksonpt · October 2011

SERIOUSLY????

Ya know what? Just like not everyone perveives statements as we mean them... not everyone means statements the way you read them. How about just saying, "Sorry, I misunderstood." and move along.

Good lord...

And yes, I'm judging. Deal with it.

As Parents, How do you help...

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