Your kids cannot eat what you don’t have stocked in the house. So many people are concerned about their kids making healthy choices. The best way to make this happen is to make healthy choices yourself – both in what you are choosing to eat and what you are allowing in your home. Try not to cater to your kids. Have them eat what you are eating. I know there are different philosophies, but we have chosen to not battle over food. Instead, our kids choose from what we make available to them. They can eat nothing, a little or a lot of the options we provide. It is family style. Desserts aren’t offered often, but there is not a restriction when they are offered. They can have a piece of whatever we are eating. They must join us at the table with a positive attitude. This choice has been made for our family based on a number of books and articles we have read. Here is a link to a fabulous article about how to help your kids make good food choices. Being a healthy life long eater starts with having good experiences with food that do promote health but aren’t surrounded by loads of huge restrictions that promote feelings of guilt. Concerned your children will eat too much? It’s all about what you have available. Kids often eat too much when they’re afraid things won’t be made available to them. You often end up with the exact thing you are trying to avoid. So, if you are afraid your kids aren’t eating enough, trying to push it can make them eat less. In contrast, if you are afraid of how much your child is eating and try to restrict, they end up trying to eat more. Here’s another article I wrote on making meal times pleasant.
I truly believe children are TRAINED at a young age as eaters. Having them TRY new things isn’t the same as forcing them to eat something they don’t like, but taking bites (*tastes*) is always worthwhile. Love the ideas you’ve shared here!
Absolutely – stocking the cupboards and fridge with healthy foods shows that we as parents prioritize healthy eating.
As a parent of kids with some sensitivities, I’ve seen at least one of my kids outgrow his limited palette. Sometimes, being patient and continuing to offer healthy, good-tasting food is the best way to go. We don’t do battles over food, though we emphasize trying foods. We also talk about being considerate of the cook who spent time making a yummy nutritious meal.
I totally agree. Our children will follow our example. My mother will eat anything and she enjoys it. I am not quite to that point, but she always taught me to give everything a try. Although I don’t have as much self control as I would like my children to have, I am working on it. Going to the grocery store without an empty stomach helps.
Thanks for sharing at Mom’s Library!