Posted by mushrooms on Dec 18, 2012 in Main
- Model them - this is the most difficult. You can’t expect kids to eat well if you don’t.
- Don’t buy junk food - you can’t eat it if you don’t have it.
- Cereal is fast food - if you don’t have time to make a traditional meal, and everyone is starved, feed them cereal. At least it is healthy.
- Fast food is bad - this is usually true. It simply isn’t good for you. The only exception is Subway.
- Make it easy to eat - a kid will snack on an apple if it is cut up and presented to them.
- Absent minded snacking - a kid will eat a bowl of just about anything if they are absorbed in homework or a good book. Or video games.
- Late meals - Feed the kids later. Wait until they announce they’re starving. The first few days may be rough, but once you find that time of the day when they are so hungry they’ll eat anything, make it mealtime.
- Consistency - if you establish a pattern of healthy eating, it becomes the norm. It’s much easier for kids to accept (or concede defeat).
- Variety - offer a wide variety of foods. Don’t worry if some goes uneaten, eventually kids will find that spinach won’t kill you and that squash can be good.
- Accessories - a few flavor enhancers may be helpful, like chocolate milk mix, brown sugar, maple syrup, sugar, butter. Balanced by moderation, they may make a rejected food more appetizing.
- Let them cook - if they can choose foods, sometimes, they’ll eat them.
- Limit snacking - they aren’t really “starving", they can wait until mealtime, especially if the only available snack is stone ground wheat crackers or some other form of cardboard.
- No dessert - there are plenty of goodies in kids’ diets, there’s no need to serve dessert.
- Ice cream for supper - once or twice a year, have ice cream for supper. Not just a cone, but a huge bowl or a sundae. Really enjoy it.
- No choices - asking kids what they want for dinner or whether they would like what you’re making just ensures you’ll both be unhappy. Cook food you like, at least you’ll be happy.
- No negotiation - there’s one meal. Eat it or go hungry. They won’t starve to death.