How can parents deliver vital nutrition messages to kids and teenagers who resist lecturing and only want to eat the foods they “like”? Problems can certainly intensify when the “picky” child, who’s been taught it’s OK to just eat chicken tenders and mac and cheese, leaving the healthy stuff on the plate, becomes a teenager with weight- and diet-related health issues such as high cholesterol and type 2 diabetes.
The good news is that today’s education system places a greater emphasis on health and nutrition, making it even easier to echo the teachings at home. Allowing your child a part in preparing simple, well-rounded meals is a positive step, helping to lay a foundation of health that can last lifetime.
Don’t stress over spilled milk
Kids are more capable than we give them credit for, and welcoming your children into the kitchen will help them learn the importance of health and nutrition. The simple act of allowing your child some ownership in meal planning and preparation can begin to chip away picky eating habits.
Adults tend to keep their kids out of the kitchen because they think it will be too messy. Of course the old adage “You can’t make an omelet without breaking a few eggs” means that when cooking with kids, said egg might actually hit the floor. But your kids can’t learn if they don’t try, so here a few tips to keep the cleanup time to a minimum:
Create an easy-to-clean, mess-proof work space lined with a cookie sheet or buy some butcher paper to line the counter.
Allow your child to help with smaller steps like getting food from the refrigerator, washing fruits and veggies, and working the salad spinner
Children can watch as you measure ingredients. When done, allow your child to pour the ingredients into the bowl. This is a great way for young children to start learning about cups, teaspoons and tablespoons.
Have your child help with cleanup. This simple act will help make her be a little more careful when it comes to spills.
Use multimedia to educate outside the kitchen
Books, magazines and websites offer great ways for encouraging good eating behaviors. Below are a few of my favorites for teaching children about food: where it comes from and how it affects our bodies.
“Good Enough to Eat: A Kid’s Guide to Food and Nutrition” by Lizzy Rockwell addresses hunger and the different kinds of nutrients, vitamins and minerals children need for good health. It includes simple explanations of how they work to build strong bodies.
ChopChop, at www.chopchopmag.org, is an entertaining magazine filled with nutritious, great-tasting, diverse and inexpensive recipes. Kids can check out the recipes online or subscribe to the hard-copy magazine and pick out favorite recipes.
Fooducate (www.fooducate.com) is a free mobile app that lets you scan any food with a barcode for a quick letter grade of its health rating. It turns searching for healthy food into a kid-friendly video game.
DOOF: Food Backwards (www.foodbackwards.com) provides a highly entertaining, multimedia alternative to fast-food advertising. It promotes healthy food and helps school children make better food choices.
Make shopping a fun nutrition excursion
If all of this sounds too ambitious, start with just shopping for food. Trips to the grocery store and farmers’ market allow your child to explore the many different foods that might not make it to your table. It’s a great interactive experience and will help launch a lifetime of healthy eating habits.
Jeannie Solomon is a wellness and nutrition coach at the Peninsula JCC in Foster City.