From time to time I exchange information and ideas with other bloggers. It’s always fun and gratifying to hear and read what others feel and think when it comes to parenting. Being a parent can be a daunting and unrewarding lifetime job, but when you do your best, you will eventually be rewarded with the results you wish to see.
I had the pleasure of having guest blogger, Deborah Shure (www.nannytax.ca), owner and founder of Nanny Tax write up a wonderful piece in helping your children eat and (hopefully) fall in love with vegetables. Read on to learn about great tips on how to get your kids to eat more produce.
4 Ways To Get Your Kids To Eat More Produce
Some kids love fruits and vegetables, and will eat almost any healthy dish you put in front of them. If that sounds like your child, you are one lucky parent. A large majority of kids are on the opposite end of the spectrum; if it’s not a French fry, then they don’t want it.
Moms and dads with picky eaters can beg and plead with their kids, and still the veggie dish they made with love won’t get eaten. If this sounds like you, and getting your kids to eat healthy is an uphill battle, here are four tips that may actually work with your kids.
Take a trip to the farmers market or a pick your own fruit farm.
Going somewhere new as a family is exciting for kiddos and adults. Plan a trip to the local farmers market or a farm that lets you pick your own produce. Tell the kids they get to meet the farmers that grow the veggies and talk about all of the different fruits and vegetables they might see.
At your destination, encourage your children to learn about the growing process and the names of new produce they may not have seen at your regular grocery store. If your kiddos are like most, they will want to take some of the colorful fruits and vegetables home. A simple trip to one of these places can get your kids excited to eat what they picked by hand, or to try the foods they asked the farmers about.
Let them pick out fruits and veggies at the store.
Going to the grocery store without the kiddos can feel like a vacation for a busy mom. You can get in, get out, and not be nagged at the checkout for those impulse buy items they conveniently put in your face. If your kiddos will not eat produce, you might try making a special trip to the store with them just for fruit and veggies.
If you typically shop solo, buy everything else you need in your normal trip. Make a second trip back at your convenience with your picky eaters. Normally you pick the produce, prepare it, and serve it. If your kids eat their vegetables you are one lucky parent. If they don’t, give them a handheld basket or a kid sized cart and tell them they get to pick out the produce this week. Giving them the choice of what fruits and vegetables you serve may do the trick, and may have them looking forward to eating them.
Buy a kid safe knife and let them help.
If your kiddos help in the kitchen, they may be more willing to eat what you serve. Let them wash fruits and vegetables, and help prepare them for dinner. Many stores sell plastic kid friendly knives that are safer for budding pint-sized chefs. Watch your kids closely and show them how to prepare fruits and vegetables for a family meal. Not only is it a great way to get in some bonding time, but it also increases the odds that your kiddos will eat vegetables at dinner.
When all else fails, sneak it in.
If you’ve tried everything you can think of to get your kids eating more veggies and they still won’t eat them, try sneaking them in. There are lots of ways to hide vegetables in food, and several books filled with kid friendly recipes that will tell you in which dishes to hide which veggies. Head to your local library and pick up a copy of Deceptively Delicious: Simple Secrets to Get Your Kids Eating Good Food by Jessica Seinfeld or The Sneaky Chef: Simple Strategies for Hiding Healthy Foods in Kids’ Favorite Meals by Missy Chase Lapine.
About the Author:
Deborah Shure is the owner and founder of NannyTax, the premier nanny payroll service in Canada. With over 25 years of combined financial experience, Deborah and her team are the most trusted source of nanny payroll information. When she isn’t busy providing “nanny tax frustration relief,” Deborah is spending time with her 3 kids doing all the things that supermoms do!
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