Sneaking vegetables into food has become a popular technique for boosting children's nutritional intake. Jessica Seinfeld's cookbook Deceptively Delicious and The Sneaky Chef by Missy Lapine were both bestsellers. Their techniques and recipes are sure to get your kids to eat their vegetables, even if they don't know it. In the world outside of your kitchen, however, no one will be hiding spinach in brownies.
As your children grow, they will increasingly make their own food choices. So, how do you get your kids to seek out vegetables, both now and for life? Start with laying the foundation for a healthful diet.
Analyze Your Eating Habits
Do you enthusiastically eat vegetables, or do you avoid anything more colorful than a potato? Parental eating habits have a profound impact on our kids' choices. A study reported in the November 2008 Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine ("Like Parent, Like Child: Child Food and Beverage Choices During Role Playing") found that children, when presented with a variety of healthful and "junk" food, consistently selected items that mirrored their parents' typical food choices. It doesn't work to preach "eat your vegetables" while leaving your own broccoli untouched.
Develop Your Own Love of Vegetables
If you don't love vegetables, fake it 'til you make it. You'll get there eventually, too. Just start somewhere, like adding tomatoes or roasted peppers to your sandwich. Order mushrooms and olives on your pepperoni pizza. Make it a personal goal to increase your own vegetable intake each week, especially when you're eating around your children.
Surround the Kitchen With Enticing Imagery
Subscribe to healthful cooking magazines, such as Cooking Light or Vegetarian Times. Go to the bookstore and browse for a cookbook that makes you excited to try healthful recipes. Better yet, bring your kids and let them choose one. Keep a bowl of apples on the counter or a plate of raw veggie snacks out during the day.
Hang fruit and vegetable prints around the kitchen. Try the Rainbow Challenge, and the kids can create their own gallery of veggie creations. All of this vibrant, enticing visual input reinforces the message that fruits and vegetables are a part of daily life.
None of this advice is meant to be a quick fix or miracle. You cannot try one technique and expect your child's eating habits to change immediately. Choose several ideas to implement over the course of a few months, and in time, your family's health and eating habits will change for the better ... forever!
In "Participation Turns Kids Into Vegetable Lovers", you'll discover four effective ways use participation as they key to your children's healthful diet.
Christine E. Taylor - Christine E. Taylor is a freelance writer based in the San Francisco Bay Area. Christine is currently writing a series of articles ...
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