Kids and Clean Eating...help!

DesignerJojo

Hi, My husband and I started eating clean almost two years ago, fell off the wagon for a short time and have been recommitted to it for several months now. We found it made such a big difference to our overall well being that it was an obvious win for us. Like some, we weren't very careful about portion control and so weight continued to be an issue, but we have that under control now. Now it is our children we are trying to bring on side.

We have two girls, a 5 and an almost 4 year old, and we have tried on many ocassions to switch some of thier more processed diet to clean homemade versions, but to no avail. Does anyone have any suggestions on how to shift a diet for such young children and still get them to eat?
Have your kids tried anything that they love? Meals and travel snacks are the biggest issue... help would be appreicated.

Thanks,
Jojo

hdlb

Just stop buying/cooking/serving the proccessed foods. If they aren't in the house, they can't eat them. They will not starve. And I don't mean that in a rude way, but they are not in charge. You are.

What are their favourite meals? There is usually a way to make anything "cleaner". LIke nuggets....chicken breast in a flax/whole grain coating is 1000% times better then a chicken nugget from the freezer department. Even hotdogs come in "cleaner" versions now. Homemade mac and cheese with whole wheat pasta instead of Kraft Dinner, pizza on a whole wheat crust, homemade smoothies....

My kids eat pretty clean. They have gluten/dairy/nut/corn allergies (between the 3 of them) so there is very little that we can buy that everyone can eat. They snack on lots of applesauce, fruit, veggies, berries, quinoa and rice crackers, jerky (from our local butcher shop) etc. They aren't totally clean, they really love sun-rype fruit bars and ketchup, but it doesn't go much further then that.

I cook breakfast quite often - eggs, bacon, hashbrowns, muffins. They also like GF rice krispies, and GF pancake muffins - not clean btw lol. But tasty. When feeding kids GF there is fine line between clean eating and being able to feed them at all.

Lunch is usually a meat - chicken, or lunch meat (ham or turkey), and fruit/veggie. Sometimes they have crackers to go along with it.

If we need to pack snacks to go out we take fruit or veggies chopped up, applesauce in these awesome sippy containers we have, or plain rice crackers, jerky goes pretty far too, and its filling.

I believe that www.100daysofrealfood.com also has a section about transitioning kids to clean eating.


ETA: The first couple weeks can be brutal, I'm not going to lie. We had to do 2 big changes -1 where we just switched to cleaner eating, and 1 when we had to remove gluten. But they do adapt, and it does get easier. Eventually its just normal for them to eat this way and the begging/nagging/complaing stops.

cherrybomb_77

I agree with hdlb. We have 4 kids and I just don't keep junk food in the house. If they want cookies or something, I make them myself, with whole wheat pastry flour and half of the sugar the recipe calls for. I would focus more on healthier foods than strictly "clean" stuff. Compromise on some things if need be. For example, I prefer homemade mac and cheese, but my kids like the boxed stuff. So I comprise with Annie's Homegrown (organic and all natural). I make homemade "cheez-its," wheat crackers, graham crackers, etc. Again, might not be strictly "clean" because there's some sugar, but homemade versions with whole wheat flour and reduced sugar are much healthier. Also, I never buy them things like Gogurt. But I do buy them Greek Gods full fat honey and strawberry Greek yogurt (my kids are all borderline underweight, so I always buy them full fat versions at the direction of their pediatrician, give them real butter, real yogurt, whole milk, etc). It has a bit of sugar, but nothing like "kids" yogurts!

Christie0428

Just stop buying/cooking/serving the proccessed foods. If they aren't in the house, they can't eat them. They will not starve.

This is exactly what I was going to say. Mine is only 19 months - so not the same situation... she'd never had a chance to eat junk and get to like it. She eat what ever I give her, she may not eat it the first, second or third time, but i gently offer and say ok when she refuses, give her something else and and then just offer again later.. with the exception of one or two things she always eats it eventually. I never make a big deal about wanting her to eat something either. I jsut offer and accept the no... but all the choices I give her are clean. She eats scrambled eggs with tones of spinach of swiss chard almost every morning for breakfast. She also eats spaghetti squash with marinara sauce happily. If my husband is eating wheat pasta, she wants it, but if its not around/visable she doesn't hesitate to eat the speghetti squash.

Good luck, if your are consistent they will eventually convert :-)

montana_girl

hdlb - Thanks for the link to the 100daysofrealfoods website. I've just glanced at but already found some useful information.

To the OP - I don't have kids at home anymore, but the previous posts have some wonderful advice. What also works is the "either/or" option. Give your kids two options of healthy/clean snacks and let them choose between them. Then they think they have the power in the decision.

badtastebetty

Get those kids to help make their food! Make your own pizza night is a big hit with my boyfriend, so I'm sure kids would love it

But seriously, make it fun and don't keep junk in the house. Eventually they will come around.

DesignerJojo

Thanks everyone but I kinda wanna scream MY KIDS DON'T EAT JUNK FOOD!!!! No where in my post did I say they eat junk, I did say they eat 'some' processed foods which I am trying to eliminate. Most of which I already have by simply not making it available as has been mentioned.
I suppose I wasn't very clear on what I was looking for, so I will try again.

Does anyone have some good clean recipes or recipe sources (already subscribe to 100days) that their children enjoy that are quick and easy. (I work all day and am home too late to cook an elaborate meal) Clean snacks that are nut free and thanks but fruit and veg aren't what I'm looking for we already do that. I guess I am looking for the less obvious because I have been on this journey a while now and am doing most of what has been suggested thus far.

Tested and kid approved that is what this mom is looking for.

Thanks

badtastebetty

Well, what are the processed foods your looking to replace?

ladylaume

If you have to do quick and easy you can always try the healthier version of things they eat instead of Kraft mac n cheese try back to nature or annies.... back to nature also makes a good snack line, and instead of fruit snacks try annies or other Real fruit snacks. can always make your own fruit leather and let the kids make shapes with cookies cutters. My kids are 2, 4, 6 and so far they have not had a problem with clean eating....

cherrybomb_77

Well, what are the processed foods your looking to replace?

I agree, some specificity might help you get the feedback you're looking for.

NicoWoodruff

I haven't met a kid yet that didn't like wholesome home cooked meals. Make them some home made mac and cheese with bacon in it and they'll love you forever.

Warning though, you will over time create monsters who will later on be appalled at some of the things their friend's families eat that will taste weird to them after awhile. And they will develop a taste for expensive grocery items like balsamic vinegar.. true story.

antitek

Clean Eating Magazine has just what you are looking for I bet. Here is a link to their 20 Minute or Less recipes.

http://cleaneatingmag.com/Recipes/20-Minutes-or-Less.aspx

Hi_Im_Jess

^ Awesome link!

Lyerin

I like a lot of the recipes in the Vegan Lunchbox cookbook. Most of the recipes are kid-friendly. They aren't entirely "clean" but you could easily modify the ones that aren't. I haven't tried any recipes out of that cookbook that I haven't liked.

DesignerJojo

Thanks every one for taking the time to respond, I have realized that apparently I am doing all I can...and much of it works. I was looking for something magic that would make feeding two fusspots a bit easier, and thought there might be a holy grail out there I had missed but alas not the case.
We are subscribers to Clean Eating Mag and use the website regularly, but have only found a handful of things the girls will eat. We did implement a rule some time ago that they had to try one new food at dinner every night, which works, but their palate is still pretty bland. I cannot even count how many homemade mac and cheese recipes we have tried and they have turned their noses up at all, so pc white cheddar mac n cheese it is until I work up the courage to go cold turkey from that old standby. I will definitely try to find the Vegan Lunchbox cookbook as it can only help.
One person commented on them not liking the processed foods thier friends bring, and we have already experienced that, so things are not as bad as I think I guess.
Anyhow thank you all once again...good luck on your journeys

mslisatm

My kids still eat some processed stuff but not as much as they used to. My advice would be similar to others here. Just look at their favorite snacks and find cleaner versions. My older son loves crunchy snacks with lots of flavor so I got them hooked on herbey roasted chickpeas! My little one is more of a challenge so I always offer him new things along with things he likes. I can switch up his pasta to whole wheat as long as its in wacky shapes! We do taste testings of weird fruits or different nut butters. We just try to make it fun.

jbowman9820

Try www.eatingwell.com I love this website!~ There is a whole section on food for kids. It's one of my favorites for sure.!