motivating kids to eat healthy

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ednaratliff
ednaratliff Posts: 12
in Health and Weight Loss
I have a 10 year old who doesn't like meat or vegetables very much. I can tell her blood sugar is out of whack . She just doesn't have a lot of energy. No matter what I say or how I prepare meat and vegetables she just won't eat them, but yet she is starting to complain that she doesn't feel well. We've tried having her help prepare the meals and choosing what is for dinner and that helps some. How do I help her make the connection that what she puts in her body dictates how she is going to feel? I didn't get it until I was in my 30's, so how can I help my 10 year old get it?

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  • ednaratliff
    ednaratliff Posts: 12
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    I have a 10 year old who doesn't like meat or vegetables very much. I can tell her blood sugar is out of whack . She just doesn't have a lot of energy. No matter what I say or how I prepare meat and vegetables she just won't eat them, but yet she is starting to complain that she doesn't feel well. We've tried having her help prepare the meals and choosing what is for dinner and that helps some. How do I help her make the connection that what she puts in her body dictates how she is going to feel? I didn't get it until I was in my 30's, so how can I help my 10 year old get it?
  • Phatmomma
    Phatmomma Posts: 204 Member
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    What does she eat then? The only thing left is junk food. Hmm there is one sure fire way to fix this and it is for her own good and her health:noway: -Don't buy any junk. Feel the house with healthy food. I blame child hood obesity on the parents. Even with health issues a child can only get obese if their parents buy the food that will cause them to suffer. if I starved my child they would be taken. The same should apply to say the parents of the 75 lbs 1st grader at my dd's old school. By year end that poor baby was almost 100 lbs! And her parents were MORBIDLY obese and I saw them feeding her pure junk at a family night event . Not one healthy item and poor baby was given a full soda! On top of the junk she ate for a 2 hour event.
    Whew had to blow off steam for a minute lol. :mad:
    What I am basically saying is you are the parent. She eats what you buy or she doesn't eat. Trust me, they will give in when their tummy gets hungry. Healthy food or no food-which would you choose?:wink: It's not like stifling creativity or their personality-this is basic common sense. One of those "I'm the parent" moments when you have to put your foot down especially if your little girl is getting sick.
    Also if she is forgoing food to the point of illness be sure to check into EDO. Even 10 is not to young especially with information the kids can get online.
    My kids are vegetarians and they of course eat a lot of vegetables but even they have their moments and they either eat what I cook or they do not eat. Now granted I don't force them to eat anything AFTER they have tried it and given it a fair try but we don't waste food either. So say they don't eat their dinner just out of naughtiness-then they most certainly won't get a creme cake for desert. If they simply are full we put the food in a storage container for later.:smile:
  • mkeithley
    mkeithley Posts: 399
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    I have a 10 year old who doesn't like meat or vegetables very much. I can tell her blood sugar is out of whack . She just doesn't have a lot of energy. No matter what I say or how I prepare meat and vegetables she just won't eat them, but yet she is starting to complain that she doesn't feel well. We've tried having her help prepare the meals and choosing what is for dinner and that helps some. How do I help her make the connection that what she puts in her body dictates how she is going to feel? I didn't get it until I was in my 30's, so how can I help my 10 year old get it?

    You might want to check out these discussions for ideas. motivation,etc.:happy:
    When I first started going thru this with my kids, I was met w/tons os opposition. I called their pediatrician, he said I should fix their meals and if they didn't eat, they didn't eat, that when they got hungry eniugh they would eat waht was put in front of them. Being the worrier I am I thought that was a little too extreme and hardcore. So I made their meals with a veggie/fruit I knew they liked adn introduced a new one too, more of the new one than the one I knew they liked. Then I contined to introduce the same veggie/fruit a week or two later, over time they have come around on some, not so much on others, but I still serve them and make it a rule thay have to eat some of it. I also have them help me set the table and help me prepare the food. Since they have been helping I have noticed their attitudes have improved and they are more open minded(as openminded as a 10 and 8 y/o can be:laugh: )
    Don't give up, keep trying.:happy:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/11376-8-year-old-daughter

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/11271-kids-and-diets
  • Phatmomma
    Phatmomma Posts: 204 Member
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    Normally if it was just a fussy eater I'd have done the same thing you suggested, but this mom says she has TRIED and prepared all different kinds of fruits and veggies all different ways and even allowed her baby input into meal plannning-and NOTHING. She also said her baby is getting sick. If you don't eat fruits or veggies then only thing left is junk food and bread. maybe pasta? If that baby (even 10 is a baby) is getting sick-put your foot down. Also get some pediasure (your doctor can even prescribe it so insurance pays too) so she at least gets her nutrients. I forgot to mention that. I forgot the name of the big kid version, pediasure is the baby version. At least you know she gets what she needs for the day and you can blend it to a shake. She has to eat poor thing, she doesn't know the long term damage she is doing to her body and development. Plus she can't learn well if her body is lacking nutrition. Hang in there Mom.
    You might want to check out these discussions for ideas. motivation,etc.:happy:
    When I first started going thru this with my kids, I was met w/tons os opposition. I called their pediatrician, he said I should fix their meals and if they didn't eat, they didn't eat, that when they got hungry eniugh they would eat waht was put in front of them. Being the worrier I am I thought that was a little too extreme and hardcore. So I made their meals with a veggie/fruit I knew they liked adn introduced a new one too, more of the new one than the one I knew they liked. Then I contined to introduce the same veggie/fruit a week or two later, over time they have come around on some, not so much on others, but I still serve them and make it a rule thay have to eat some of it. I also have them help me set the table and help me prepare the food. Since they have been helping I have noticed their attitudes have improved and they are more open minded(as openminded as a 10 and 8 y/o can be:laugh: )
    Don't give up, keep trying.:happy:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/11376-8-year-old-daughter

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/11271-kids-and-diets
  • mkeithley
    mkeithley Posts: 399
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    I have a 10 year old who doesn't like meat or vegetables very much. I can tell her blood sugar is out of whack . She just doesn't have a lot of energy. No matter what I say or how I prepare meat and vegetables she just won't eat them, but yet she is starting to complain that she doesn't feel well. We've tried having her help prepare the meals and choosing what is for dinner and that helps some. How do I help her make the connection that what she puts in her body dictates how she is going to feel? I didn't get it until I was in my 30's, so how can I help my 10 year old get it?

    When I read your post the first time, I assumed you meant her stomach was upset or maybe headaches from not eating a well rounded meal(one with veggies/fruits). My kids get sick at their stomachs if they go to a friends house and load up on sugary,fatty, bad carb loaded foods, the 10 yr old gets headaches and the 8 year old has actually vomited. If she is not feeling well in a sick, weak way, I'd contact the dr. to make sure there isn't something major going on(insulin resistance, diabetes, thyroid, etc-I had my daughter checked for all of the above just to be on the safe side), just to rule it out
    Also, sometimes kids need to try things several times before they develop a taste for it.
    Don't give up:happy:
  • ednaratliff
    ednaratliff Posts: 12
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    Sorry, it has been about a week since I posted this. Been a busy week. Actually I don't keep junk food in the house very often. If I do, it is baked chips or frozen yogurt. We rarely drink pop or juice. I just can't get her to eat her vegetables or protein. We eat brown rice and occasionally wheat pasta, wheat tortillas etc. And if she is at a party, she eats uncontrollably to the point where she gets sick. She wants to snack constantly too - always trying to sneek food.

    I get your point about it being the parents responsibility to provide proper nutrition for their children. I grew up in a home where there was junk food everywhere. I always blamed my mom for my weight issues. But at some point they have to grow up and take responsibility for their own health and eating habits. I feel like I am doing everything I can but I'm not getting anywhere with her. So I guess I just wanted a few suggestions. I don't want her to struggle her whole life with weight issues and unhealthy eating habits.
  • ednaratliff
    ednaratliff Posts: 12
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    Her stomach doesn't get upset. She just gets lethargic and struggles with energy. I know I am really sensitive to sugar and white flour and I think she also is sensitive to it. And it is everywhere. Its in school lunches and snacks. We really limit it in our home, but it seems like that is all she wants to eat. So my house is stocked with fruits and vegetables, low fat cheese, nuts, low fat popcorn for snacks but I have to work hard to persuade her to eat healthy. Just get tired of the battle sometimes, especially when I struggle with it myself. I grew up in a home where junk food was everywhere! My mom is obese and I've struggled to change my eating habits for years. I just don't want my own kids to have to struggle so much.
  • catlover
    catlover Posts: 389
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    This is all very interesting and I hope people keep posting and you keep us informed. On a personal note, my own daughter did not eat for three years, her first three years, although noone really believes me, she didn't. I breastfed her until my back hurt so bad I couldn't pick her up anymore, she was 19 months old. She occassionally had juice, but rejected 99% of the food I offered her. I was on the WIC program at that time and always padded her intake to make it look good during report time. At age three, I was worried she would never eat and talked to them about it. I discovered for her size and age, she was having 9 servings of milk and 4 servings of juice a day, there was no room for food. I cut her down to one serving of juice, two servings of milk, water, and in three days she got hungry and started eating.

    I was a teacher for Head Start for years and we served two (according to USDA regs) healthy meals a day. In a class of 18 kids, I had one who would eat everything, one who wouldn't eat at all, one who would throw up at the smell of cooked vegetables, one who only ate bread, one who only ate the meat, one who only ate the fruit, one who only ate the meals related to their culture or background, and the other 11 fell somewhere in-between. Even at 10, your child sounds really normal, if that's the word, but some things did make the light go on, I'm not a doctor, but the symptoms sound worth getting checked out.
  • thalli1
    thalli1 Posts: 332 Member
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    Just an idea, but I saw Jerry Seinfeld's wife on Oprah and she wrote a cookbook about how to sneak vegetables into food without your kids knowing it. It's called Deceptively Delicious. She made a chocolate cake that had some kind of pureed vegetables in it, and Oprah said it tasted great. I was thinking when I watched the show that I would've done that when my kids were little if I had known about it. I don't know if that would help, but when my kids were little I would've thought it might have been worth a try.
  • Soniabruja
    Soniabruja Posts: 93
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    My kids are 2 and 4 years old... and some-times they like veg. or not....
    At the moment is not!! What I do? simple: I make soup!! they can't see the vegetables and taste delicious..
    If they have pasta, I make my own sauce: tomato base with lost of veg and I blend it!!!
    They love fruit, so is not to bad....
    You can also try to make some fruit&veg juice, I'm sure she will love that...
    About the meat, I was the same when I was that age:tongue:
    If you are worried about that, you can get in any healthy store vitamins and proteins for kids.
    Good luck with that..(I think your child is a very normal 10 years old girl)
    Sonia:flowerforyou:
  • DBranchaud
    DBranchaud Posts: 827 Member
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    I have a ten year old niece that's living with me( Auntie DD, Grandpa and Grandma and Mommy) and I have to raid her lunch box before she leaves for school. Make sure she isn't just taking a whole bunch of granola bars and kool-aid. Her mother and her just moved in with us a few months ago and she's still getting used to the fact we don't kep a constant supply of pop and chips like the other Grandparents( her mother does shift work so she spent alot of time over there).

    We're trying to teach the kid to cook but she doesn't like veggies unless they are covered in some kinda of gelatinous cheese-like substance or tons of butter( enough to make me vomit) :sick: and she has to have some type of meat. Won't even look at a veggie only dish. Soo much for my fav stir-fry:brokenheart:

    One kinda of kid I have to tell you about is one of my friends( she's in university now) Her parents just fed her and her brother fruits and veggies and she didn't know what a choclate bar tasted like was untill she was 7. I remember going over to her house some times and I'd be leaveing and her mom would be trying to stuff whole wheat crackers and oranges in my purse, and going to the library and being handed a bag full of grapes and apple juice
  • LokiFae
    LokiFae Posts: 774 Member
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    Just an idea, but I saw Jerry Seinfeld's wife on Oprah and she wrote a cookbook about how to sneak vegetables into food without your kids knowing it. It's called Deceptively Delicious. She made a chocolate cake that had some kind of pureed vegetables in it, and Oprah said it tasted great. I was thinking when I watched the show that I would've done that when my kids were little if I had known about it. I don't know if that would help, but when my kids were little I would've thought it might have been worth a try.

    This is a really good idea. I have this book, and use it almost every day to feed my finicky 10-month old and my even more finicky husband. If your daughter likes mashed potatoes, make fauxtatoes instead, with laughing cow cheese in them. You really can't taste the difference. Everyone in my family even thinks they're better! I even fool my husband. And sneak in veggies to things that wouldn't normally have them in there. You can make brownies with black beans and not even taste the beans. My husband LOVES spinach now, because I sneak it into everything. Before we got married, I couldn't even get him to eat it. Also try using whole wheat pasta etc. because if you're both sensitive to white flour, you should be able to eat wheat flour. And it's healthier. Good luck!
  • kerrilucko
    kerrilucko Posts: 3,852 Member
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    Could you make if fun to eat vegetables? 10 is a tough age.... Maybe you guys could do homemade pizzas (vegetarian style) or a healthy and colourful stirfry. Something that REALLY helped me when I was that age (I didn't like veggies either) was eating with friends and seeing them enjoy their veggies. I felt kind of weird not eating them. Like if I went to a girlfriends house for dinner and they served broccoli I ate it all up and I got so I really didn't mind it. Maybe if you let her have a friend to dinner and try one of the above ideas with both of them? Just a thought :) Also, mix it up, maybe you've been giving her peas and she just doesn't like peas (I can relate, yuck lol) try giving her fun veggies....... like corn on the cob, baby carrots, and cherry tomatoes. Also try putting them into her favourite foods. for example, I put tomato slices on my grilled cheese and cut bell peppers into my brown rice :wink:
    One thing that I've found really handy when I'm low on fresh, is vegetable soups! yummy! Good luck!!
  • ednaratliff
    ednaratliff Posts: 12
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    I've actually looked into that and it is a good concept. I just need to be super organized to do it. Everything has to be pureed (spelling). Dena
  • thegirlwholived
    thegirlwholived Posts: 27 Member
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    Just an idea, but I saw Jerry Seinfeld's wife on Oprah and she wrote a cookbook about how to sneak vegetables into food without your kids knowing it. It's called Deceptively Delicious. She made a chocolate cake that had some kind of pureed vegetables in it, and Oprah said it tasted great. I was thinking when I watched the show that I would've done that when my kids were little if I had known about it. I don't know if that would help, but when my kids were little I would've thought it might have been worth a try.

    This is a really good idea. I have this book, and use it almost every day to feed my finicky 10-month old and my even more finicky husband. If your daughter likes mashed potatoes, make fauxtatoes instead, with laughing cow cheese in them. You really can't taste the difference. Everyone in my family even thinks they're better! I even fool my husband. And sneak in veggies to things that wouldn't normally have them in there. You can make brownies with black beans and not even taste the beans. My husband LOVES spinach now, because I sneak it into everything. Before we got married, I couldn't even get him to eat it. Also try using whole wheat pasta etc. because if you're both sensitive to white flour, you should be able to eat wheat flour. And it's healthier. Good luck!

    Try the Sneaky Chef cookbooks for kids and the new one for husbands. She includes easy baby food substitutes in case you can't manage making all of the purees ahead of time.

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