[blparent] Meals and Snacks

[Bridgit Pollpeter]

I think every parent has used the starving kid argument- we forget kids
don't have the analytical and reasoning skills we adults have, or at
least sometimes have.  *giggle*

First, eating habits develop during infancy and toddler-hood.  This is
why it is important to follow a schedule, as best as possible, and once
consuming baby and table food, they should be exposed to vegetables and
non-sweet tasting foods first so they can develop a taste for these
foods.  When exposed to early to sweet tasting foods like fruit and
sweet potatoes, or given more of this, they often tend to develop an
aversion to those foods that don't have a sweet taste.

That being said, this doesn't mean every child will eat what's set in
front of them or they won't develop a dislike for certain foods.  Just
as our personalities evolve, so do our taste buds.  To a certain extent,
we should respect kid food likes and dislikes, and try to work on menues
that compromise.

My nephew is one of those kids who literally will not have tried
something, but if it looks at all odd to him, he refuses to touch it,
and he is seven.  My Penny, who is almost two, will like something one
day and eat it with relish, and the next, you can't get her to touch it
with a ten-foot pole.  Grocery shopping can be a real pain in the butt!

One thought, try having your kids help prepare meals and snacks.  This
can get messy, but messes can be cleaned up.  Trust me- this is coming
from a certifiably crazy, OCD clean-freak! *smile*

If kids feel a sense of accomplishment in helping to prepare food, they
will probably be more inclined to try food.  Involve them in the
shopping process too.  Remembering my own childhood, the more involved
you feel as a kid, the more willing you become to help out and try new
things.

And while we should try our best to introduce foods and have kids eat
balanced, healthy meals, I don't think we need to push variety.  If they
like something, well, don't fix what's not broken! *smile* As long as
something isn't bad like fast food or highly processed foods, prepare
that more than once a week since your child enjoys it and will eat it.

Another key part of the equation is to be a role model. Kids emulate us,
and If our kids don't see us eating certain foods, why should they?  We
should try to lead by example.  Exploring food should be a family affair
and not just something for the kiddies.  If we want kids to eat well
balanced, healthy meals, the whole family has to participate.

Off the top of my head, here are a few snacks/meals to try:
Ants on a log- celery sticks with peanut butter and raisins
Mini pizzas- use English muffins or tortilla shells and make mini pizzas
using different toppings, shredded cheese  and pizza sauce. These bake
in the oven for anywhere between 15 to 30 minutes.
Tortilla wraps- use tortilla shells and cheese to make a cheesey wrap,
just warm in microwave to melt cheese, or use griddle on stove if
wanting a crispyer shell. Makes for a good snack, but can be part of a
meal too.
Sugar-free jello or pudding- what kid doesn't like pudding or jello?
Especially jello cut into shapes!
Cut sandwhiches into shapes- prepare a sandwhich then using a cookie
cutter, cut the shape out.
Breakfast for dinner- kids love breakfast especially when having it at
different times. Can make pancakes, eggs, french toast, potatoes, bacon,
etc. And all these things can be made healthy, check out different
recipes or just purchase ingredients that are healthier like turkey
bacon and organic eggs and light syrup.  Substitute olive oil for butter
when you can, and replace your salt with sea salt.
Veggies and dip- cut different veggies, carrots, celery, red and green
peppers, etc. and dip them into ranch dressing or a veggie dip.
Baked frenched fries- peel and cut potatoes, mix extra virgin olive oil
with seasonings of choice, toss potatoes in oil mixture then bake for 35
to 45 minutes in the oven at 400 to 450 degrees (depends on how crunchy
you want them). I usually season with salt and pepper and oregano,
parsley and basil, or cayen pepper for a spicier taste. Is good healthy
substitute for frozen fries or using a deep-fat fryer.

If you have internet access, Google specific recipes, or BARD and NLS
have cookbooks you can look through.  I know BARD has a Rachel Ray
cookbook specific for kids, I think it's called Yummo, and has healthy
food choices kids might enjoy.

Another thing I thought of to help with the health side of things is to
follow portion suggestions, and make sure you're the one doling out
portions.  If an entire box of crackers is set in front of kids, they
won't want to stop!  And if they're helping to prepare, set ingredients
out ahead of time with only the measurements you will require. This is
also helpful to make the cooking process faster and flow smoother.

My mom, she still does this, will either make up stories about specific
food or find stories.  While we eat, she'll tell the story.  As kids, we
were always intrigued by the stories and wanted to eat it.  For example,
to get us to eat lentil soup, she told some story about a family
escaping religious persecution, and they stopped to rest at an inn and
had lentil soup, which filled their tummies and souls.  Obviously she
told this story in a way appropriate for children, and her stories tend
to revolve around religious matters, but it worked. This description is
not doing justice to it, but my mom is a teacher and writer so her
stories really are good. This is especially fun during the holidays.

Anyway, hope this rambling email is helpful.

Sincerely,
Bridgit Kuenning-Pollpeter
Read my blog for Live Well Nebraska.com at
http://blogs.livewellnebraska.com/author/bpollpeter/