I am often asked how my almost 4-yr old son came to be such a good eater. Sometimes I misinterpret the question, like when a waitress asked this weekend, “did he come that way?” (My son is clearly adopted, as he is a different race from me and my husband, so I have a tendency to read things into innocent statements from strangers. I am working on that.)
Maybe my son did come this way. I am the first to admit that he has an incredibly healthy appetite and an easy going nature, so food struggles are limited compared to many families. But, I also think that there are things that I do which likely help. I am just a Mom, not a doctor or an R.D. In the interest of full disclosure, though, know that I have a long history struggling with weight and eating. I was the heaviest kid in my class from second grade through college. “Childhood obesity” wasn’t a common headline, but that’s what I was: an obese kid. I had to relearn how to eat as an adult. While I might not be a certified expert, Dr. Oz and those nutritionists you see on TV can’t always speak from personal understanding. I can.
Take my experience as simply that: my battle to feed my kid three wholesome, balanced meals every single day.
This is what I do when I feed my family:
- Protein and healthy fats are a part of every meal and snack. (Carbs come easily; these are the two you have to really think about and plan for.)
- My son watches me eat kale chips, seaweed, nuts, grapefruit and tons of nutrient-dense foods I like. If he snubs his nose at a food, I moan with delight as I eat, ala Sally from “When Harry Met Sally.” Curiosity and jealousy gets the better of him 9 times and out 10.
- I’m not shy about seasoning with salt, pepper, and lots of spices. Food should taste good and unless you have been told to steer clear of sodium, salt isn’t evil.
- Empowering kids is a huge part of our mission here at Choicelunch, and I extend this to Jack. But, instead of asking him if he wants cauliflower, I ask “do you want hummus or peanut butter to with your veggies?”
- Dips work! Mustard, ketchup, salsa, soy sauce, my son has been known to combine some odd things, but he’ll happily chow down lettuce if given a condiment choice.
- I pack his preschool lunch (no Choicelunch offered *sigh*). There are things I have learned that he will eat with me because he knows I expect him to eat them, which will come home uneaten if I send them off to school. This means I plan what goes to school and what he eats for breakfast and dinner with me.
- I think outside of ‘typical menus.’ Celery or snap peas at breakfast? Yes! Shrimp for a snack? Sure!
- Put veggies into everything. Yes, I have reservations about hiding veggies , but as Justin says, you can do purees AND serve recognizable veggies. These are not mutually exclusive.
- Raise your expectations. Kids live up to your expectations, so set high ones! Don’t label your kids as picky, unless you want them to be.
- This is controversial, but I do use sweets as rewards. If he eats all of what I dole out for dinner, he can have 1 or 2 chocolate covered peanuts, yogurt pretzels, or small bites of something I know he’ll look forward to.
- I parcel foods out as he eats. I don’t put a full serving of everything on his plate at once. He gets protein first with some healthy fats. This prevents him from eating only his favorites first and getting full. Hard to do when I’m not always with him, but when I am, this is the custom. Some Asian cultures think of their plate as having three compartments, with veggies and fruits the bulk of the plate (Michelle Obama didn’t invent this!) Kids are taught from infancy to, “Eat around the plate” distributing bites.
I understand fully that there are many of you fellow parents out there with older kids. The common question is, “how can I introduce these new concepts now, when habits, school friends and personalities are all conspiring against me?” Pick your battles, commit to making the changes yourself and when all else fails, remind them who’s the boss.
