Feeding little kids in a healthy way? Need help

My kids love fresh fruit. I started there then moved to yogurts. As far as proteins go my oldest wouldn't eat meat until the last year. Couldn't get her to eat much but finally stumbled onto the fact that she loves pistachios. Now she eats nuts like crazy. Also pork chops with a light dusting season salt and ketchup to dip in(i know not as good as some, but better than most)

I have 2 little boys myself. My one year old was easy because he didn't know any better. My 5 year old has been a little harder because he started off eatting fast food and processed food like mac n cheese. We have a rule in our house that you eat what Mommy fixes for dinner, or you don't eat. He never starves. He will find something on his plate he is willing to eat be it the fruit, or veg or sometimes everything. Every once in a while I will allow him to have the old mac n cheese, but it's not often.
Also, I have found ways to make the things he likes (pizza, sloppy joes, and even mac n cheese) in a healther way at home. He loves it when he gets to pick his own toppings to put on his pizza and helps make it.
He is slowly growing accustomed to the new way of eatting and even learning to love some of the things he once turned his nose up at (Tilapia). Ultimately we are the parents and we know what is best for them so you just have to put your foot down.

Personally, I think you just have to keep trying. There are so many ways to disguise healthy food.

For instance, I made a cauliflower crust pizza yesterday. Kids might like pizza, but hate cauliflower. I just don't tell them it's cauliflower until after it's gone.

Also, make small changes to food he really does like. For instance, we made Spaghetti Squash Au Gratin. It takes like Hash Brown Casserole, but is much healthier.

And please, don't feel guilty about eating healthy and teaching your kids to make good nutritional decisions!

About 90% of the time, my kids only snack on fruit, veggies, or yogurt. Once in a blue moon, I'll buy something like pop tarts *gasp!* and give them each one as a morning snack with their milk while I get to sleep in. But for the most part they LOVE yogurt and fresh fruit and I'm good with that!

Also, since the day they could start eating solid food, they get veggies with every meal. So they've come to expect it. Now when I ask my 3 year old what she wants for dinner, generally her answer is "Carrots, green beans, broccoli, cucumber, tomatoes....and mac and cheese!". I'm definately okay with that! LOL

So when it's a normal part of their life it's not a battle. They know what they can have and what they can't. Sure they still ask for candy, but only actually get it once in a great while. Still gotta let them be kids.....

Try the one-bite rule. When I make meals, I make sure to serve at least one thing I know they'll love (so they can have enough to eat), and then the rule is they get one serving of everything on the table. They can have as much of anything on the table as they like, but they can't have seconds until they try at least one GOOD bite of everything I'm serving. Even if they've not liked it before, they have to try it again. I exempt my son from trying carrots because he gets the shivers, they gross him out so bad. But everything else, one bite. We all stay at the table until everybody's tried everything. We don't fight about it, it's just what we do. My son is 4 and a half. He used to hate salmon. Now it's one of his favorites, simply because he's tried it repeatedly until he got over the "eww, weird new food" reaction. My kids like salt, so I'll let them put salt on new foods if they ask. It makes them more likely to try it. If they liked ketchup, I'd let them try that too. Whatever it takes to get them to try it, and then you can gradually cut back on the salt or ketchup or whatever it is they want to add to it. Then after they've tried everything, if they want a second helping of their favorite, they can have it.

Do my kids eat clean all the time? No. But they eat a LOT healthier since we implemented that rule. We don't have junky, sugary snacks except once in a while, they don't eat anything with dyes in it anymore (it was exacerbating my son's aggression, so we cut them out), and they drink water 98% of the time. And they enjoy it. They used to eat really embarrassingly badly, but we've made huge strides just by using this rule, and now they don't even miss that stuff. You just have to keep trying. Be positive and upbeat, don't fight about it, but don't offer the junk. It will happen.

My kids love fresh fruit. I started there then moved to yogurts. As far as proteins go my oldest wouldn't eat meat until the last year. Couldn't get her to eat much but finally stumbled onto the fact that she loves pistachios. Now she eats nuts like crazy. Also pork chops with a light dusting season salt and ketchup to dip in(i know not as good as some, but better than most)

This is how my kids are...they LOVE nuts. In fact that's what we put in their easter eggs this year. Their favorite nut. They loved it. Also, they will gobble ANY kind of pork and chicken we put in front of them like it's going out of style. My husband is the cook and believes in making as much as possible home made. THANK GOODNESS!

My boys are 4 and 6, and love to help in the kitchen. This helps get them to try new things for meals, since we taste all of the ingredients as we cook.

There are a ton of activities around where we live, like farms where you can pick your own (or like a CSA where you can purchase a share of the crops) that help acquaint kids where the food actually comes from. We don't have one here, but near my brothers house they have a 'Pizza Farm' which is an interesting concept that are helpful for even picky eaters. Farmers markets are great too. We try to encourage them to try everything before deciding if they like it or not.

Could you take a cooking class together, or have them help meal plan? Maybe start with the concept of balanced meals, food pyramid, etc. I'm sure your local library has some age-appropriate books to help as well.

But, rather than focus on all of the things your six year old won't eat, why not focus on what they will. Maybe one night a week can be 'Adventure' Night for meals - featuring a new item, to expand your child's interest in food.

If nothing else, I would suggest finding the best possible options. If they love pasta - opt for the whole grain option. (Heck, they even make a whole grain option for Kraft Mac & Cheese). Or, better yet, if he likes the convenience food, try making a homemade version to control more of what goes into their food.

Good luck!

I always had one rule when mine were younger and that was they weren't allowed to say they didn't like something until they tried it first, quite often they actually liked the healthy food

also I saw somewhere recently if you smile when you dish up the food and look like you really love it then they're more likely to eat it, but that might be with much younger kids lol

My kids love fresh fruit. I started there then moved to yogurts. As far as proteins go my oldest wouldn't eat meat until the last year. Couldn't get her to eat much but finally stumbled onto the fact that she loves pistachios. Now she eats nuts like crazy. Also pork chops with a light dusting season salt and ketchup to dip in(i know not as good as some, but better than most)

This is how my kids are...they LOVE nuts. In fact that's what we put in their easter eggs this year. Their favorite nut. They loved it. Also, they will gobble ANY kind of pork and chicken we put in front of them like it's going out of style. My husband is the cook and believes in making as much as possible home made. THANK GOODNESS!

With 5 of us we do Beer Butt Chicken, but replace the beer with a Mt. Dew (ironically the only time we have soda in the house and it goes to the chicken...whoda thunk it.). 3 kids and 2 adults and it's GONE. Nothing but bones leftover.

Yeah, we struggle with this some too. I have a 4 and 2 year old. Our dinners are healthy -- some kind of protein, some kind of veggie, usually some kind of starch, milk or water to drink. And their lunches for school are the same. So I know they are getting some healthy foods. But for breakfast and snacks, we just kind of want something quick and convenient. we do a lot of granola bars (seems to always be something chocolatey) and cereals and... there's so much sugar in those things I don't feel like it's much better than candy! I've cut that stuff out of my diet but for some reason, I can't get over the convenience aspect and make them do it too.
So... I don't know... they eat their healthy lunch and dinner because that is what they get and they can eat it or be hungry until the next regularly scheduled meal or snack. We don't give snacks out after a meal if they don't "fill their tummies with healthy food first". But they do have a morning and afternoon snack -- regardless of how they ate their lunch/dinner -- at a regularly scheduled time.
If I had any suggestion, i think it would be to make small changes. Like... "oh, we're not buying soda anymore because it's not good for our bodies". And then maybe offer some healthier snacks in place of something unhealthy, slowly easing out more of the junk and adding in more good things, especially if there are good things he actually likes (like nuts or dried fruit???).

Another thing we do which i LOVE is dessert night. we have dessert night two nights a week so if they are begging for ice cream I can just say "it's not a dessert night!" and, ohwell, guess that means you're not getting any! But if it is a dessert night, they get dessert even if they didn't eat well that day. it's not a reward, it just is what it is.

meh, I don't know if any of this is good for anyone else, but I feel like we're doing OKAY, except for the crappy snacks. working on it...