How to get your kids to eat healthy & vent

I am having a lot of trouble with this.

My kids will not eat ANY veggies, and very few fruits.

My m-i-l watches my kids 4x a week and also watches my neice and nephew, so I understand its tough for her to really follow thru sometimes on good breakfast and lunch. But, and I LOVE my m-i-l to death, why does she have to give them candy when I say I dont want them to have it? She says sometimes its her last resort, but I know thats not always true.

I insist that my kids cannot have gum. I have such bad teeth, and I dont want them ending up like me. When my grandma watches them or even when we go to visit, the first think I notice is Genevieve chewing gum.

I feel like, because of this, *I* have no control over what my kids eat and then they absolutely WILL NOT eat anything I give them that is good for them.

Billy also has a gag reflex so if he doesnt like something, he just throws up instead of spitting it out.

Does anyone have any ideas on healthy but good-tasting meals? I will be happy to prepare food to bring to m-i-l's so she doesnt have to make it. And maybe a good way to prepare veggies so that they are not gross to a 2 1/2 yr old and almost 4 yr old?

TIA for any help you can give me. This has really been bothering me lately.

And please dont quote - I will be taking this down!

Re: How to get your kids to eat healthy & vent

i JUST read an article in Parenting magazine that kids are more likely to eat veggies if you give them silly names. I have the article right here:

carrots - xray vision carrots
brocolli - dinosaur trees
peas - power peas
salad greens - bunny food
asparagus - super spears

Re: How to get your kids to eat healthy & vent

Jerry Seinfeld's wife wrote a cookbook where you add vege purees to a lot of things - muffins, pancakes, sauce.

For fruit - maybe make smoothies, or put some fruit on icecream, ices, in jello

For veges - maybe a sheppard's pie (chop meat, peas, carrots topped w/ mahed potatoes).
Also, try hiding veges in cheese or pasta.

Maybe baked vege chips - like potato chips - I saw a recipe in Family Fun -

Try what they do eat and add to it - if they eat strawberries, add a few rasperries. - add fruit to cereal, yogart.

Re: How to get your kids to eat healthy & vent

I am aving the same problem. My mom watches my DD sometimes and will basically give her anything she wants. If she doesnt eat lunch but wants cookies then she will get cookies. It really bothers me also. I dont want her to pick up bad eating habits. I mean she doesnt eat the best but I refuse to give her junk for meals.

I would love to hear any suggestions anyone would have too.

Re: How to get your kids to eat healthy & vent

Re: How to get your kids to eat healthy & vent

Jerry's wife's book is called "deceptively Delicious". It has a lot of great recipes for adding purees to yummy foods. I would definitely try that route!

Re: How to get your kids to eat healthy & vent

Thank you everyone. I was heading to the bookstore today so I will definitely pick that up!

Re: How to get your kids to eat healthy & vent

Maybe you can bring food to your MILs house and say, I made too much so I brought leftovers for lunch....

I tried this great recipe last night and thought of you....

And see what happens

Message edited 8/4/2009 10:53:28 AM.

Re: How to get your kids to eat healthy & vent

Think "dipping" kids love to dip...

Veggie Burgers dipped in yogurt sauce..

Zuchini pancakes dippend in ranch dressing..

Oven Fried Greenbeans dipped in Ketchup...

Oven breaded brocolli and cauliflower to dip in ranch...

Or make the dip be the vegetable. Cheese and brocolli dip, spinach dip, etc..

Re: How to get your kids to eat healthy & vent

Maybe you can bring a box of Cheerios to MIL's or a bag of Thomas' whole wheat mini bagels. My DD also would eat sugar for 3 meals a day if I gave her the chance. For breakfast she only get 2 options - Cheerios or a bagel with jelly. Up until about a year ago she ate very healthy food but then my sister and her kids moved in with me and she got introduced to the sugary cereals, ice cream, etc. Now she wants it all the time. Now that my sis & kids are gone I'm trying to change things back to the way they were. So when we go grocery shopping and she insists on getting Froot Loops, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, etc. I'll get a small box and she can have a handful as a snack. That way she doesn't feel deprived but I'm still limiting the sugar. Maybe you can try that with some things they like.

I think the Seinfeld book is a good consideration. Also, Rachel Ray often has good recipes which help to disguise veggies. 2 I can think of right now are Butternut Bowties, and Zucchini Fettucini. You can also "health" it up by using whole wheat pasta.

As far as the gum, I'd be very direct that you don't want your kids to have it. Also keep telling them they are not allowed to have it. You can even tell them it will ruin their teeth. If you keep telling them, they will probably get on board with saying they aren't allowed to have it and will probably start telling the other kids it will ruin THEIR teeth.

I also let my DD dip alot of things in tomato sauce. I figure, it is a veggie so how can it hurt? Just go to the Ragu website and it says that there is a serving of veggies in every 1/4cup of sauce (I think).

Message edited 8/4/2009 11:21:44 AM.

Re: How to get your kids to eat healthy & vent

We have "Tasting Parties" periodically. This involves buying new and different fruits and veggies and .. well .. tasting them! We try to make it a fun game. I'll blindfold them and have a bunch of cut up fruits or raw veg and they need to guess what it is by smelling it and tasting it. I participate too.. they get to blindfold me and feed me. That part.. a little scary.

Another thing is getting them to cook with you. The boys are 10x more likely to eat what they helped make. They have pride when we put "Robbie's String Beans" or "Noah's Sweet Potatoes" on the table.

Message edited 8/4/2009 11:25:23 AM.