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Young Chefs
Cooking with kids helps teach them better eating
habits.
Try it you, and they, will like it!
'Picky
Eaters'
Are some of your children 'picky eaters'? Would they have a closet full of
trophies if there were prizes for being picky?
Apparently this has been a hot research topic among some scientists. They
must have kids who are 'picky eaters'. Through diligent testing, they
discovered that 'picky eaters' have more taste buds than regular folks, many
more, which obviously make all flavors more intense, and some unbearable to the
sensitive tongue. So, when your kids say that the taste of a food makes them
sick and to avoid mealtime battles, give them the benefit of the doubt and serve them a nice bland meal
instead.
Paula McGuffey
Cultivating
Your Child's Eating Habits
It is imperative that children
develop good eating habits while they are young.
If you have young pre-schoolers at home, this is a wonderful time to start them
on a healthy diet that may last a lifetime. Offer fruit and veggies for snacks
and treats in place of sugary, empty calorie foods. Many children think orange
and apple sections are great and raisins in little boxes are fun to eat. Lots of
little ones love to dip. There are a number of dips you can make with cottage
cheese and yogurt. The kids can dip carrots, broccoli, and whole grained
crackers and crisp breads, etc. Never force children to clean their plates and
don't forbid junk food. Just don't keep it around often and offer other foods in
its place. As for drinks, you must encourage their
drinking milk. Juices, especially apple juice, are not good substitutes on
a regular basis. Read the nutritional labels on the bottles to ensure they are
drinking 100% juice.
However,
as a last resort, there are several 'sneaky ways' to add more nutrition to the family
diet. Add cooked mashed carrots to any red sauce such as Spaghetti, Sloppy
Joes or Chili. Also, add dried-enriched skim milk to foods, i.e.
puddings, in which the taste will not be altered.
Be creative!
I'll never tell!
'Picky Eating' May Be Inherited From
Parents
You spent an hour whipping up a
feast you're convinced your little one will love, only to have the meal met
with a stuck-out tongue and a tantrum. Wondering why even the most appealing
offerings get the thumbs-down from your little diner? It might have more to
do with your genes than your culinary skills.
A new study shows that kids'
tendencies to be finicky about food might actually be inherited so if
you or your child's other parent were picky, your little one might be, too.
Looking at the eating habits of 5,390 pairs of 8- to 11-year-old twins,
researchers found that 78% of cases of food neophobia (the fear of new
foods) were genetic and 22% were linked to environmental factors that the
twins didnt share.
Eating (or not eating) is often
how young kids and, sometimes, older ones express that they're
becoming increasingly independent big kids with their own tastes and
opinions. "Food jags" when kids will only eat certain things
and reject most others are a common, albeit aggravating part of early
childhood.
What This Means to You
Sure, you may want to throw in the
dishtowel every time your toddler hurls the peas on the floor or your
preschooler sticks a nose up at the pork chops. But you can't let their
persnickety palates rule the roost. To help make kids more open-minded about
what they put in their mouths:
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Set and stick to a daily meal
and snack time schedule. Young children usually need three meals and two
or three nutritious snacks a day.
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Buy and serve nutritious
fare.
Stock your kitchen with foods you'd actually want them to eat.
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Reel
in the junk food, but don't ban it altogether. If you
completely forbid certain foods, kids are much more likely to want them
even more. So, its OK to allow some special treats every once in a
while.
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Don't cook special meals just
for picky eaters. Serve the same thing for the whole family, but include
new choices alongside something you know your kids like.
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Let them
feel like
they have a choice. That doesn't mean letting them pick out their snacks
or meals. It means presenting them with healthy options, then allowing
them to decide whether to eat, what to eat on their
plates, and how much to eat.
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Don't expect kids to be
"clean-platers." Let children recognize their own internal
cues that tell them when theyre hungry and when they're full.
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Encourage trying at least one
bite of different nutritious foods at each meal, but
don't
negotiate for bites or use dessert as a reward. If you tell kids they
can have a cookie if they eat their spinach, that only makes the treat
seem that much more appealing than the veggies. Plus, it creates
mealtime tension and sets the stage for a power struggle.
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Be
persistent. It may take a
while for little eaters to accept new tastes and textures you may
have to present a food up to 15 times before they'll try it.
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Involve the
kids. Look for
recipes with ingredients your children like, and invite them to join you
to shop for, cook, and serve the food.
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Say no to soda and too much
juice (no more than 4 to 6 ounces of juice per day for preschoolers).
Water and milk are the only beverages kids really need. But avoid
serving any drink right before meals that might spoil their appetite.
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Serve smaller
portions, which
are less overwhelming for kids. Plus, bigger portions may encourage
overeating.
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Create
positive peer pressure. Look for opportunities for kids
to eat healthy with friends (at home, playgroups, or school).
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Set
a good example. Sit down for family meals together and make sure your
kids see you enjoying the same wholesome foods you're expecting them to
eat.
If your picky eater opts not to
eat anything at all, don't make a big deal about it. Simply offer nutritious
choices again at the next scheduled meal or snack. But if your child is
regularly skipping meals and snacks or you're worried that your little one
isn't getting enough calories or nutrients, talk to your doctor.
Luckily, although lots of
tots are picky eaters at some point, with time and plenty of patience, this
often-frustrating phase too shall pass.
Kids Health for
Parents - Nemours Foundation -Reviewed by: Steven
Dowshen, MD
Date reviewed: October 2007
20
tips for 'picky eaters'
Your preschooler has refused to eat
anything other than peanut butter sandwiches for the past two days, and your
toddler would rather play than eat anything at all. Sound familiar?
If children's nutrition is a sore
topic in your household, you're not alone. Many parents are distressed by what
their children eat or don't eat. However, most kids get plenty
of variety and nutrition in their diets over the course of a week. Until your
child's food preferences mature, prevent mealtime battles one bite at a time.
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Respect your child's hunger or
lack thereof. Young children tend to eat only when they're hungry. If your
child isn't hungry, don't force a meal or snack.
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Stay
calm. If your child senses
that you're unhappy with his or her eating habits, it may become a battle of
wills. Threats and punishments only reinforce the power struggle.
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Keep an eye on the
clock. Nix
juice and snacks for at least one hour before meals. If your child comes to
the table hungry, he or she may be more motivated to eat.
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Don't expect too much. After age
2, slower growth often reduces a child's appetite. A few bites may be all it
takes for your child to feel full.
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Limit liquid
calories. Low-fat or
fat-free dairy products and 100 percent fruit juice can be important parts
of a healthy diet but if your child fills up on milk or juice, he or she
may have no room for meals or snacks.
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Start small. Offer several foods
in small portions. Let your child choose what he or she eats.
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Boycott the
Clean Plate Club.
Don't force your child to clean his or her plate. This may only ignite
or reinforce a power struggle over food. Instead, allow your child to
stop eating when he or she is full.
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Leave taste out of it. Talk
about a food's color, shape, aroma and texture not whether it tastes
good.
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Be patient with new foods. Young
children often touch or smell new foods, and may even put tiny bits in their
mouths and then take them back out again. Your child may need repeated
exposure to a new food before he or she takes the first bite.
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Eat breakfast for dinner. Who says
cereal or pancakes are only for breakfast? The distinction between
breakfast, lunch and dinner foods may be lost on your child.
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Make it
fun. Serve broccoli and
other veggies with a favorite dip or sauce. Cut foods into various shapes
with cookie cutters.
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Recruit your child's
help.
At the
grocery store, ask your child to help you select fruits, vegetables and
other healthy foods. Don't buy anything that you don't want your child to
eat. At home, encourage your child to help you rinse veggies, stir batter or
set the table.
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Set a
good example. If you eat a variety of healthy foods, your
child is more likely to follow suit.
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Be sneaky. Add chopped broccoli or
green peppers to spaghetti sauce, top cereal with fruit slices, or mix
grated zucchini and carrots into casseroles and soups.
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Keep it separate. If your child
isn't a fan of various ingredients thrown together, you might "unmix"
the food. Place sandwich fixings outside the bread, or serve the ingredients
of a salad, casserole or stir-fry separately.
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Stick to the routine. Serve meals
and snacks at about the same times every day. If the kitchen is closed at
other times, your child may be more likely to eat what's served for meals
and snacks.
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Minimize distractions. Turn off
the television during meals, and don't allow books or toys at the table.
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Don't offer dessert as a reward.
Withholding dessert sends the message that dessert is the best food, which
may only increase your child's desire for sweets. You might select one or
two nights a week as dessert nights, and skip dessert the rest of the week.
Or redefine dessert as fruit, yogurt or other healthy choices.
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Expect some food preferences to
stick. As kids mature, they tend to become less picky about food. Still,
everyone has food preferences. Don't expect your child to like everything.
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Know when to seek
help. If your
child is energetic and growing, he or she is probably doing fine. Consult
your child's doctor if you're concerned that picky eating is compromising
your child's growth and development or if certain foods seem to make your
child ill.
Your child's eating habits won't
likely change overnight. But the small steps you take each day can help promote
a lifetime of healthy eating.
Veggies and kids?
No way? Yes, way
Now that getting kids to eat fruits or vegetables has
become a full-time job, follow the advice of the year, become an artist,
and display fruits and veggies in tantalizing, fun presentations. A face on a
plate with grape halves for eyes, a carrot for a nose, raisins for a mouth. Lettuce
makes great hair. Unfortunately, many kids don't fall for the 'fru-fru'
stuff and you are back to sneaking veggies into other foods, such as
grinding up carrots and adding them to the pizza sauce or putting zucchini into
the muffins. It works, but boy are the kids mad when they find out!
It's been suggested, when kids help
cook, have them taste frozen nuggets of vegetables. This can be a new way
to get them to eat 'veggies'. Corn nuggets are great and they usually love
them. The preparation is a breeze when serving frozen corn and peas and
once in awhile while they may even try them cooked!
Paula McGuffey
Kids Do Better With Breakfast
Experts now tell us that for children to do well in school, they really need to
fuel their bodies with a nourishing breakfast before starting each day. Test
scores frequently reflect the truth of this axiom. However, a daily start of
fatty, rich, calorie-laden foods may actually have a negative impact on them.
So, what is best? A light breakfast consisting of some fruit, dairy(milk), and fiber is
a good solution. Fruit-topped cereal is one way for kids to get all three, and
usually rates high with them. A slice of whole-wheat toast topped with a small
amount of peanut butter or melted low-fat cheese is also a good choice. Flavored
yogurt (watch the sugar!) is also becoming a favorite with kids. Offer juices,
as long as they are 100% juice.
Let your children select the foods and juices for their nutritious breakfasts,
since they'll only eat something they like anyway. Perhaps they can help you
prepare part of their breakfast the night before so time won't be a factor in
the morning. Also, get them involved in the daily breakfast routine by letting
them set the table.
Begin
early to serve, and therefore teach your children the food choices necessary
for their health and life-long well-being.
Remember, children learn by example and their
parents are their
greatest teachers. Be sure to make exercise also part of the fun when planning family
outings.
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Nutritional improvements of Melrose
Daycare's Daily Menus began in
April. We have just
completed revamping our entire menu with the help
of the Bureau of Nutrition guidelines and various experts
in the
field of childhood nutrition, Natalie Egan, Jeanne Mac Donald and
Kirsten Damaresq. For this, we are most grateful
and thank them for helping to place Melrose Daycare Center on the 'cutting
edge' of children's nutrition. 
