Many parents dread mealtimes because of the battles that ensue when trying to get kids to eat something healthy or try something new. If this sounds familiar, try a few simple hints to get your child to eat more vegetables, try new foods and get more nutrition out of his favorite dishes.
Hints to Increase Vegetable Consumption
According to the USDA, kids need between 1 and 2 cups of veggies a day, but most kids don't eat enough, which means they're not getting the vitamins and nutrients vegetables provide. One way to increase vegetable consumption is to sneak them into your little one's favorite foods. Parents Magazine suggests adding at least a quarter cup of vegetables per serving. Try pizza with tomatoes, red peppers, and basil leaves. Stir thawed frozen mixed vegetables, such as peas, carrots, cauliflower or broccoli, into macaroni and cheese or chicken noodle soup. If your child likes spaghetti, add finely chopped veggies to the sauce. Instead of French fries, try sweet potato fries. They look and taste almost the same, but are packed with vitamin A. Another way to get your kids to eat more veggies is to serve them as finger foods with dip. Try baby carrots, cherry tomatoes, slices of cucumber and sticks of celery or bell peppers with low fat ranch dressing or humus.
Hints for Making Favorites Healthier
Many favorite kid dishes are fast food-type fare, such as chicken nuggets and pizza. Unfortunately, fast food is loaded with fat and sugar, and low in nutrients. But you can make these entrees much healthier if you whip them up at home. Parents magazine suggests making chicken nuggets by dipping chicken breast pieces into a mixture of egg whites and milk, then into whole wheat bread crumbs or crushed fortified corn flakes. Bake at 425 degrees for 20 minutes. Buy thin, whole-wheat pizza crust and low fat cheese and choose your own healthy toppings, such as veggies, chicken or ham. Make macaroni and cheese with whole-wheat pasta and low fat cheese. If you don't have time for homemade French fries, frozen fries baked in the oven have half the fat of those served at restaurants, according to Parents. Or, let your little one have one favorite, such as chicken nuggets, but serve healthy sides, such as fruit, veggies or brown rice. If she refuses to try the healthy stuff at first, that's OK, keep offering it.
Hints for Nutritious Desserts
Eating healthy doesn't mean banning dessert. In fact, if your child is extremely picky and doesn't eat enough calories throughout the day, a snack before bed is a good idea. Instead of ice cream, serve frozen yogurt or freeze your child's favorite refrigerated yogurt flavor. Yogurt is a good low-fat source of calcium and probiotics. Some cookies actually contain whole grains, such as certain graham crackers, Fig Newtons and even Chips Ahoy! varieties.
Serving Hints
One way to get kids to eat nutritious food is to make it look fun. Use cookie cutters to cut healthy sandwiches, whole grain toast or cheese slices into fun shapes. Serve slices or chunks of fruit, vegetables or meat on skewers like kabobs. Use your creativity to create faces on your child's plate, with zucchini slices for eyes, pasta for hair, and grilled chicken strips for a smile. Or, give regular healthy fare exciting names, such as "power potatoes," "monster meatballs" or "Kryptonite carrots."
Hints About Nutrition Labels
Many foods that your kids love are available in healthy versions; you just have to be aware of what to look for on the packaging. Avoid foods with any kind of sweetener, such as sugar or high fructose corn syrup, in the first three ingredients. Look for foods that list whole grains as one of the first ingredients. Always buy 100 percent fruit juice with nothing added. In the Nutrition Facts panel, look for low amounts of saturated fat, trans fat and sodium and some percentage of the Daily Values of vitamins.
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