Duckiedee
Every Day is Better at Disney
- Joined
- Mar 3, 2010
Although I do agree with the posters that you can't force a kid to eat anything... I do think you can absolutely steer a child in the right direction.
We do eat really healthy for the most part in our home... very clean probably 85 to 90% of the time. I am only a quasi-freak about it (depends on where you are on the spectrum as to whether you think I'm a complete freak!!!), but I am the type of healthy eater, cook, that I often have friends and family ask me nutrition, recipe advice - for what that's worth!
I do believe in moderation, and if we are at a friend's house and hotdogs are on the menu, for example, we have one, in fact we've even been known to grill them at our own home! LOL.
That said, you can totally control the type of food your kiddos are eating the majority of the time even if you can't control exactly what they eat.
For example, my DD will come and say she's hungry for a snack - she'll get two or three choices from me... for example, you can have an apple, some grapes or celery with PB and raisins (which she loves). I do pick stuff she likes, but I base it on the food group she needs at that time.
If she whines she wants ice cream (which isn't it amazing we can have a 'fight' about it and sorry, it's just NOT in the house at the moment! LOL) or even cheese and she just recently had cheese and no fruit or veggies, in recent hours... well, Love, you're hungry, do you want celery, apples or grapes? "Cheese is off the menu right now," I'll say. If begging or whining ensues she is asked to leave the kitchen and return when she decides between apples, grapes and celery. End story.
Although you can't force children to eat, you can choose what is there to offer. And they learn that they get choices, you talk to them about healthy food, strong bones, faster bike riding or whatever they love and how it is affected. They learn. And you respect when they truly DON'T like something. (Minus the preschool/toddler stage of like it, don't like it, like it, don't like it! LOL. Then you put in on the plate and say a little prayer.)
You can make sure everything at your table is healthy and you feel comfortable with them grazing on everything there. I don't think food should be a big deal, it is fuel for your body, therefore it doesn't have to be a battlefield. We are matter-of-fact about it. Make sure there are choices she likes and nicely ask her to try new things, more than once.
If you condition their tastebuds by the majority of what they get, it helps. Today, she was at a friend's house for a party and got a red popsicle when they were handed out, the other food SHE chose was all healthy and she's gotten to the point where she will claim she likes boxed mac and cheese, but she eats two bites.
Obviously, if you have kiddos who have medical food issues it is a whole other ball of wax.
What I find alarming is how often I see parents of LEETLE kids go from leftover cheesies for breakfast, followed by a popsicle, Koolaid for lunch and a few nuggets (although some nuggets like Jane's ARE not that bad), then move onto cookies and pop, a cheesestring, half an iced cappuccino ('cause caffiene isn't THAT bad)... don't eat at supper except for maybe some white bread because they've gorged on CRAP all day, and then are given Fruit loops before bed because "HEY!" they have WHOLE GRAINS now!!!! (A whole 1g of fibre DOES NOT equal a serving of whole grains - that my friends is called GREAT MARKETING! LOL!) NO WATER, NO WHOLE GRAINS, NO substantial, not a nugget, PROTEIN and VEGGIES OR FRUIT - well what are they????!!!! And they have NO CLUE why thier kid doesn't nap, or go to sleep at night and why they are so overactive. Now this is a minority to see it this bad, at least out of the families we know, but we see it waaaay too often.
Feeding kids is hard work... it is a challenge and it goes from meal to meal, sometimes you figure they exist on lint and air, and other times you wonder how your 18 month old possibly downed a bagel and a half in less than 20 mins!!! But you can't give up.
There is ALWAYS something going on these days and it can become too easy to realize your kiddo has only had the option of pizza, hotdogs and pancakes for a weekend. It is a trap - and I find myself bringing fruits and veggies, hummus, dried edamame, chicken for the grill and big green salads to parties and outings all the time... funny thing is the kids will DEVOUR a fruit tray in minutes.
I find parents often working to get a child to eat cake at a party, who clearly doesn't want it. Hello? And the same parents will automatically say "He won't like spinach." Without him even trying it because he doesn't like peas. Oookay.
Make sure he eats that cake though - 'cause kids are SUPPOSED to like cake!!!! I'm the evil mom who doesn't mention they're serving cake to my kiddo - and you know what - she's none the wiser!! If she asks for it, she gets a tiny slice, usually a quarter of what is being served and then ends up leaving half of it on her plate. YAY!!!!!!!!
...anyways - my passion gets away from me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I apologize as I am again on a food tangent! (Warning: Do not open food threads and not expect to see my blah, blah, blah - feel free to gloss over or completely skip it!)
It would be FABULOUS if there were more variety at places, especially if you are in the park for over 10 days like we choose to be. One or two days of 'vacation food' are fine, but man, I don't know about you, but by day three of CS and I would be feeling gross and bloated.
We really think the DxDP is good value for us, And TS is our way to go for variety. I kinda wish EVERYONE in a room didn't need to get the plan... Honestly I think if DH and I could just order, we'd have enough for three. But, what do you do, we still think that 'as is' it is a better choice for our family.
That said, a healthy breakfast is on the menu in our room most days, (to allow for some 2 TS credit meals) we've tried to pick places with variety, we WILL eat at least some yummy 'crap', and I'm positive she will eat off my plate at times. It sucks when we don't always get our way, but it's life and we'll plan for work around it so it works for our family.
I do believe more and more people are eating healthier and are slowly getting away from the processed boxed foods so many of us grew up on the more we learn. I think menus will change to reflect this over time the more often the items are purchased. And in the meantime, I continue to think you CAN get a restaurant to tweak many items in how they are prepared to fit what you think is your version of food happiness - just be nice and tip accordingly!!!!!
We do eat really healthy for the most part in our home... very clean probably 85 to 90% of the time. I am only a quasi-freak about it (depends on where you are on the spectrum as to whether you think I'm a complete freak!!!), but I am the type of healthy eater, cook, that I often have friends and family ask me nutrition, recipe advice - for what that's worth!
I do believe in moderation, and if we are at a friend's house and hotdogs are on the menu, for example, we have one, in fact we've even been known to grill them at our own home! LOL.
That said, you can totally control the type of food your kiddos are eating the majority of the time even if you can't control exactly what they eat.
For example, my DD will come and say she's hungry for a snack - she'll get two or three choices from me... for example, you can have an apple, some grapes or celery with PB and raisins (which she loves). I do pick stuff she likes, but I base it on the food group she needs at that time.
If she whines she wants ice cream (which isn't it amazing we can have a 'fight' about it and sorry, it's just NOT in the house at the moment! LOL) or even cheese and she just recently had cheese and no fruit or veggies, in recent hours... well, Love, you're hungry, do you want celery, apples or grapes? "Cheese is off the menu right now," I'll say. If begging or whining ensues she is asked to leave the kitchen and return when she decides between apples, grapes and celery. End story.
Although you can't force children to eat, you can choose what is there to offer. And they learn that they get choices, you talk to them about healthy food, strong bones, faster bike riding or whatever they love and how it is affected. They learn. And you respect when they truly DON'T like something. (Minus the preschool/toddler stage of like it, don't like it, like it, don't like it! LOL. Then you put in on the plate and say a little prayer.)
You can make sure everything at your table is healthy and you feel comfortable with them grazing on everything there. I don't think food should be a big deal, it is fuel for your body, therefore it doesn't have to be a battlefield. We are matter-of-fact about it. Make sure there are choices she likes and nicely ask her to try new things, more than once.
If you condition their tastebuds by the majority of what they get, it helps. Today, she was at a friend's house for a party and got a red popsicle when they were handed out, the other food SHE chose was all healthy and she's gotten to the point where she will claim she likes boxed mac and cheese, but she eats two bites.
Obviously, if you have kiddos who have medical food issues it is a whole other ball of wax.
What I find alarming is how often I see parents of LEETLE kids go from leftover cheesies for breakfast, followed by a popsicle, Koolaid for lunch and a few nuggets (although some nuggets like Jane's ARE not that bad), then move onto cookies and pop, a cheesestring, half an iced cappuccino ('cause caffiene isn't THAT bad)... don't eat at supper except for maybe some white bread because they've gorged on CRAP all day, and then are given Fruit loops before bed because "HEY!" they have WHOLE GRAINS now!!!! (A whole 1g of fibre DOES NOT equal a serving of whole grains - that my friends is called GREAT MARKETING! LOL!) NO WATER, NO WHOLE GRAINS, NO substantial, not a nugget, PROTEIN and VEGGIES OR FRUIT - well what are they????!!!! And they have NO CLUE why thier kid doesn't nap, or go to sleep at night and why they are so overactive. Now this is a minority to see it this bad, at least out of the families we know, but we see it waaaay too often.
Feeding kids is hard work... it is a challenge and it goes from meal to meal, sometimes you figure they exist on lint and air, and other times you wonder how your 18 month old possibly downed a bagel and a half in less than 20 mins!!! But you can't give up.
There is ALWAYS something going on these days and it can become too easy to realize your kiddo has only had the option of pizza, hotdogs and pancakes for a weekend. It is a trap - and I find myself bringing fruits and veggies, hummus, dried edamame, chicken for the grill and big green salads to parties and outings all the time... funny thing is the kids will DEVOUR a fruit tray in minutes.
I find parents often working to get a child to eat cake at a party, who clearly doesn't want it. Hello? And the same parents will automatically say "He won't like spinach." Without him even trying it because he doesn't like peas. Oookay.
Make sure he eats that cake though - 'cause kids are SUPPOSED to like cake!!!! I'm the evil mom who doesn't mention they're serving cake to my kiddo - and you know what - she's none the wiser!! If she asks for it, she gets a tiny slice, usually a quarter of what is being served and then ends up leaving half of it on her plate. YAY!!!!!!!!
...anyways - my passion gets away from me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I apologize as I am again on a food tangent! (Warning: Do not open food threads and not expect to see my blah, blah, blah - feel free to gloss over or completely skip it!)It would be FABULOUS if there were more variety at places, especially if you are in the park for over 10 days like we choose to be. One or two days of 'vacation food' are fine, but man, I don't know about you, but by day three of CS and I would be feeling gross and bloated.
We really think the DxDP is good value for us, And TS is our way to go for variety. I kinda wish EVERYONE in a room didn't need to get the plan... Honestly I think if DH and I could just order, we'd have enough for three. But, what do you do, we still think that 'as is' it is a better choice for our family.
That said, a healthy breakfast is on the menu in our room most days, (to allow for some 2 TS credit meals) we've tried to pick places with variety, we WILL eat at least some yummy 'crap', and I'm positive she will eat off my plate at times. It sucks when we don't always get our way, but it's life and we'll plan for work around it so it works for our family.
I do believe more and more people are eating healthier and are slowly getting away from the processed boxed foods so many of us grew up on the more we learn. I think menus will change to reflect this over time the more often the items are purchased. And in the meantime, I continue to think you CAN get a restaurant to tweak many items in how they are prepared to fit what you think is your version of food happiness - just be nice and tip accordingly!!!!!
