Good morning and Happy New Year my fitness friends!!! How have the first few days of this new and beautiful year been for you so far? Myself? Well, FANTASTIC! I just had a great 90 minute workout and am getting ready to enjoy another beautiful 80 degree day (in January!!) with my son Pry'nce.
Today's blog is going to be about a topic that a few of my Fit Diva for Life blog group Mommies have asked me to speak on..."how do I get my little ones to eat more fruits and veggies?!" I will happily speak on this topic. First let me say, nothing is funnier than watching our Server's face at a restaurant when my husband and I say "okay Pry'nce you go first, tell him/her what you'd like to order..." Which is followed by Pry'nce saying "Insert Chicken, Corn Dog (gasp! Famisha let's her son eat that?!!), Turkey burger with STEAMED BROCCOLI." Yes my friends, you read that right...my son LOVES to order steamed broccoli. And when he orders it with a smile, the server is even more amazed to see that he's not in trouble and being punished with a vegetable instead of FRENCH FRIES!
Here's the deal, it's very simple. We control what our kid(s) eat from the very beginning...so if we introduce french fries into their daily food intake like it's a healthy food group item, then they eat french fries. Frankly, Pry'nce doesn't even like french fries. We (the parents) are the ones who cook and prepare the meals right? Therefore, if the entire family is enjoying corn (healthy starch), steamed green beans, carrot sticks, broccoli, etc with our lunch/dinner than why shouldn't our kid(s) enjoy it too? A well-balanced meal is so important in early child development not to mention the risk of childhood obesity if healthy habits aren't established from the beginning. But let me get off my soapbox and answer the question...sorry, I'm passionate about childhood obesity! It's very upsetting...
Okay, here's some tips...first of all apple slices should be a staple in every child's lunch. Find the apple that your child enjoys the most and slice them up (or buy them already sliced) and serve them with lunch. YOU eat them with your kid(s) and talk about how YUMMY that apple slice is and how it's going to make him big and strong by eating it! Slice up a banana and exclaim how yummy bananas are...Pry'nce can't get enough of these things! The bottom line is, you MUST include at least ONE piece of fruit OR veggie with every meal you prepare for your child.
Unfortunately, I can't say that I "hide" the veggies in the food that my husband and I prepare for our son. We just eat it with him and talk about how yummy it is. The trick is, don't be dramatic about it. Don't say "you better eat this...or else!" Just serve the fruit/veggie with the rest of the food on the plate and eat it too with your kid(s). I'm sorry I don't have a big secret way of getting your kid(s) to eat fruits and veggies! But I will ask you this...how many servings of fruits and veggies do YOU eat everyday?? Kids mimic what they see. If they see US enjoying healthy food, they're more than likely to enjoy it too.
So try something new TODAY...go to a restaurant (even if it's Chick-fil-a) and instead of french fries let your kid(s) have their chicken fingers but SUBSTITUTE a fruit bowl for french fries. Remember, WE the parents control what our kid(s) eat. WE buy the food, therefore, WE should be sure to control the amount of fruits and veggies in their daily diet.
I hope this helps you with incorporating more fruits and veggies into both your kid(s) and YOUR daily food intake. Feel free to send any comments or questions you may have my way and share my blog with any friends that you feel may find it informative as well as entertaining... ;-) If you haven't joined as a follower yet, please do so TODAY.
NEXT WEEK, videos of "Fitness is Fun with your Kids!" will be back up and running. So stay tuned...
Have a beautiful rest of the week and a very HAPPY HEALTHY 2012!!! This is YOUR year to make it happen! Thanks for reading!
As Always...Stay Fit and Happy!
Famisha :-)
I love all you said Famisha and agree, although I don't know how I "developed" a picky eater! I have 3 kids, Taylor 9, Trista 7 and Grant 3. My youngest two have never had a problem eating their veggies (which Mom and Dad eat plentifull too, I don't cook separate meals for them!) but Taylor, my oldest, started getting pickier with age.... so that's why sometimes I "hide" veggies in sauces, etc so he can have some! Otherwise he's an awesome eater, chooses fruit over chocolate and candy, likes to try new foods (salmon,different spices,chili,etc)but won't eat steamed veggies as his siblings do.
ReplyDeleteVanessa, keep doing what you're doing! It sounds like overall, Taylor eats pretty healthy which isn't surprising with you as his mom...after all you are a model and look amazing! Always happy to offer tips and suggestions that can hopefully help my fellow Fit Mommies/Daddies out! Thanks for your comment and continued support!
ReplyDeleteAs Always...Stay Fit and Happy!
Famisha :-)