Top Tips to Get the Whole Family Eating Healthy
One Q I get asked on a regular basis is this: “Simone, I LOVE the FFFL lifestyle and can follow it effortlessly, NO PROBLEM! But I am not sure how to get THE REST OF my family on board….HELP!!!”
If you’re cooking two separate meals for you and the rest of your family, in particular your kiddos, I get it!! I have been there. Listen, I have been “BLESSED” with the pickiest eater of all time. Trust me - PICKIEST!! And I actually do feel “blessed” (sarcasm aside) because she’s forced me to figure out what to do when you want them to eat more of the good stuff and all they do is put up a fight.
In a perfect world we would have our kiddos asking to join us for a macro balanced meal of salmon, quinoa and broccoli for dinner but unless we live in some utopia I don’t see this happening any time soon (wouldn't that be wonderful though?!.... *sigh*)
The other question I hear from parents is what should they do about THE BAD STUFF IN THE HOUSE? I hear that their kids love fish crackers, chocolate, chips, juice and these snacks are available all the time. And the worst part is the kids are not the only one eating them……am I right?
My thought around this is no kiddo needs to be eating these foods regularly. If they are going to enjoy a treat, it could be a popsicle (homemade from smoothies are easy and delish) or BLISS coconut ice cream or even homemade cookies with coconut sugar, or stevia, instead of cane sugar.
Your kiddo may not ask for more fruits and veggies overnight, but it might surprise you how quickly you can get them to eat healthier with some "tricks" along the way. *wink*
Top 10 Tested Tips!
Chloe, one of our FFFL client’s kiddo, is helping her momma with food prep and learning healthy choices along the way! Check out Catherine Aird’s journey here.
HERE ARE MY TOP 10 TRICKS FOR GETTING THE WHOLE FAMILY ON BOARD A HEALTHY MENU
Educate kiddos about the DISTINCTION BETWEEN healthy food (I call these everyday foods) and treats (I call these sometimes foods). Slowly start to remove treats from their every day snacks. I let Shelby have a treat 1-3x/week. Also, some treats include homemade chia balls or BLISS coconut ice cream, which is actually fantastic!
Don’t focus on taking their treats away, instead focus on adding more vegetables to their diet.
Have cut up veggies on a plate with their favorite dip available throughout the day. Think celery, carrots, cucumber, broccoli, snap peas (most kiddos love these!!) and cauliflower. Serve with hummus, yogurt dip, peanut butter, etc.
Don’t tell them to eat their veggies. Place the veggies on the table as a communal dish. Have your husband/wife take part in snacking on these and become a role model for healthy eating. Kiddos learn from example after all. * wink * Shelby is my shadow some days…I’m sure you can relate.
Go grocery shopping and allow you kiddo to pick their favorite fruits and veggies. Maybe they can pick something that looks different, like star fruit or kiwi, and give that a try together.
Cut up veggies in different ways. Sometimes kiddos just don’t like the way something is cut. Try cutting a cucumber in long strips vs round. Shelby could eat long strips of cucumber all day, every day, but give her cucumbers cut round and she wont’ touch it. Believe it or not, some veggies can have a different taste depending on how they are cut. Experiment with what works for you kiddo.
Prep with your kiddos. Getting them involved can make all the difference! Purchase a set of kid safe cutting knives , and maybe even an apron, and have them help you prep by washing and chopping.
Grow your own herbs in the kitchen, or veggies in the garden, and have your kids help plant and pick. Kids love when they are included in the process. This will help guide them in making healthy food choices when you’re not around too.
Schedule meals rather than snacking all day. Getting into a good routine and eating every 2-3 hours, will have your kiddo more open to other types of food available to them. Eating more frequently may also help with your kiddos mood. I notice when Shelby goes longer periods of eating she is more irritable. Once we get her schedule more dialed in she is more open to eat what is available.
Get them up and moving! Exercise and running them until they are super hungry is a sure fire way to get them to eat ANYTHING!
Xo,
Simone
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