Nina in her family kitchen
Have you ever had these thoughts?
“I made a really healthy meal, but I couldn’t convince my kids to even try it!”
“I’ve basically given up going to the effort of making a nice nutritious family meal because my kids just complain and want chicken nuggets anyway.”
“I’m just done with battling with my kids about veggies, it’s easier to just give them what I know they like.”
I totally get it!
As a Health Coach and Family Wellness Expert I hear those sentiments all the time.
And really, who wants food wars? Everybody loses in those situations, right? Your kids get grumpy, you get cranky, and they don’t eat any healthier. What could have been a time of connecting over a nice meal, ends up as a stress-fest!
The bottom line is that you can’t force your kids to eat healthy food.
So, what do you do when you want the best for your kids and you know that means healthy food choices.
Well first things first:
Stop the battle.
Yup, just stop fighting about it right away. Seriously it doesn’t help. I’m not saying give up your ideals of making healthy food happen in your family, I’m just saying stop arguing about it.
I have a better strategy for you.
Let’s change the food culture in your family.
Instead of being in a “healthy-food is serious business” mode, use my B.E.E. method to switch it up and make your family food culture fun and interesting (and delicious of course!)
Let’s “BEE” advocates for healthy change with a positive attitude and lots of kid involvement.
B = BUZZ
Billions of dollars every year are being spent to market junk food to our kids, we need to create our own buzz for healthy food.
For example: Instead of offering your kids a smoothie with the news that it’s nutritious, bring some ‘buzz’ – tell the kids that it’s delicious, with a secret hidden ingredient or fruit to discover. The same excitement can be generated at dinner. If you’re making sautéed spinach, say ‘I have a magic trick. Do you think I can make this huge pile of greens fit into this tiny bowl?’
E= Empower
I know that taking your kids food shopping is not always easy, but inviting them to choose some of the fruits and veggies that get purchased helps them get involved. This way, you’re empowering them to be an active participant in eating healthy, and they become part of the hunting and gathering process. Just be sure everyone eats before shopping, so there is less temptation in the cookie aisle.
The other part of empowerment is to get them in the kitchen. Giving kids the tools and skills they need to make delicious food is very empowering.
E – Educate
Talk to your kids about how food affects their bodies. We raise kids to know math and how to read and write, but we also need to create food-literate children.
By teaching your kids things like:
- how to read labels,
- how sugar affects their body,
- what food actually grows from the ground and what’s made in a factory
- and more…
You’re creating an educated consumer who can then make healthy choices on their own.
Also, be sure to educate yourself. You may not have grown up in a family that made healthy choices, or you may have fallen into some unhealthy habits. Get support for yourself. Learn from someone who can guide you in making healthy food happen for you and your family.
For more free tips on how to easily add healthy, delicious foods into your kids diet without a fight go to http://www.1shoppingcart.com/app/?Clk=4846976
If you’re ready to make a healthy change for your family now, join me for the “Make Healthy Happen In Your Family; 5 weeks to feeding your kids well in a world that doesn’t” With fun and ease, I’ll walk you meal by meal into healthier habits http://www.1shoppingcart.com/app/?Clk=4846972
Nina Manolson is the founder of SmokinHotMom.com and HealthyYummyKids.com. She helps busy moms look and feel their best and teaches them how to make healthy habits come alive in their family. She’s the author of the practical book “Feed Your Kids Well In A World That Doesn’t. For more information go to: http://www.smokinhotmom.com
