Healthy Choices

from ICNS Nov 2012 newsletter...

We are celebrating Healthy Choices this week in my Kindergarten class (it’s the elementary version of Red Ribbon week) and I’m reminded that I am not alone in the nutrition battle, especially at dinner. There seems to be an evening mania where kids meltdown after a long day, everyone’s hungry, and you are racking your brain to answer what’s for dinner. And even if you plan ahead for those eventualities, there is the problem of getting the kids to eat what’s on their plate. My boys have always seemed particularly disinterested in DINNER. Lunch and snacks are no biggie, but dinner? I thought it was because at dinner there is the pressure to eat your veggies. So I experimented. I tried serving foods they usually scarf down at snack time, only to have them turn their noses up at it for dinner. (Ok well at least its not my cooking then.) And I realized, I’m putting way too much pressure on everyone, if dinner is the only opportunity to eat veggies. If I served vegetables throughout the day, I wouldn’t be so stressed about their nutrition. Now we have carrot sticks with our PBnJ and hummus and bell peppers for an afternoon snack.

So the pressure is off, but there is still the disinterest in dinner. The other night, I set Clark’s food in front of him and he said, “That’s NOT what I ordered mom.” As a cry for help, I continued looking for more revelations online, & I came across a few good tips/reminders at buildhealthykids.com. (Not that I would let the government dictate what’s healthy for you, but they’re on the right track). Here’s some of the gems.

-Serve small portions of veggies so that your child can feel success at finishing them. -Understand serving sizes for kids. 5 pieces of broccoli is a serving, but work your way up to it.

-Serve smaller portions of the rest of meal, so kids don’t fill up on carbs/meat first, then when the veggies have been eaten offer as much 2nds of the other foods as they want.

-Offer dessert only if veggies are eaten, but make it a fruit based dessert most nights. And don’t feel guilty about it.:) This is not a bribe, but teaching your child a healthy habit.

Thinking about about mealtimes as a chance to educate not just feed is empowering to me. There is great book called Eat Healthy, Feel Great that uses the stoplight system for judging what to eat. Red light foods (marshmellows, hotdogs) really stops your body from working well; green light foods (fruit & veggies) keeping your body going. When we grocery stop, Clark is allowed to choose one item, but we read the label together-mostly just to make sure there is not high fructose corn syrup in it. Using that one guideline will keep the worst items out of your cart. And showing restraint at the store is the best bet for limiting battles at home. They can’t ask (whine, complain, nag and haggle for) junk food, if its not in the cupboard. Which reminds me...if you are looking for a way to make your Halloween candy disappear, I have a bunch of coupons for a free kids meal at Wahoo’s if you bring in your candy. Look for it in Clark Wagner’s file:)