My Kids Won't Eat That!

I get asked  over and over how I make clean eating work since we have three small children. These are some simple guidelines that I use to make it happen in our home:

1. Eat by example.

Make sure you are making healthy food choices in front of your kids, first and foremost. It may not seem like they care now, but they will do what you do eventually.

2. Set aside plain food.

When you are making that chicken recipe, don't add spices to all the pieces. Or leave the sauce off a few...we all know protein becomes exponentially more exciting with ketchup when you're a kid!!! So if you make some less seasoned portions of what you are already cooking, your kids will be more likely to eat it. Same goes for rice or quinoa, try to season it after it's cooked so you can serve it in a way that appeals to your kids.

3. Have a back up plan.

Okay, this is a hot topic among moms....to send the kid to bed hungry or not? It is up to you and your own parenting philosophy as to how you handle this, but here's what I do and what has worked well for us: as I am making dinner, I tell the kids what we are having. I usually put something I KNOW they will like on the plate (like fruit or nuts). If they try their food and truly don't like it, I will offer 2 options, but I make them wait until the rest of the family is done before I get up and make their alternative. Then I set a timer for 10 or 15 minutes and allow them that amount of time to finish their food. The alternatives we offer frequently are oatmeal or a sandwich.

I find my kids behave poorly when they are really hungry and our son actually wakes up at night nauseous if I do not make sure he gets enough evening calories. So I try to avoid "skipping" dinner for those reasons. Sometimes, the kids make a battle of it and get a very poor attitude...I will just say this: parenting is hard. Your kids and mine are different. You and I are different: you do what works best for your family.

4. Just keep swimming.

Changing eating habits is hard for adults. It takes a lot of discipline and self-control. It's hard for kids too! They don't understand all the "whys" like we do. So explain to them why you are cooking certain foods or why you no longer eat other foods. Tell them how you are taking care of your body so you can enjoy many days with them. Tell them how good you feel when you take care of your body. Every day will NOT be perfect. Just take it one meal at a time. If you have a really bad day, you are normal. Just start fresh the next day and try again.

Remember this is a lifestyle change and it needs to be a journey enjoyed over time. Your kids will emulate you and repeat your habits. So try to focus on doing well with this most of the time and let go of the times you don't get it "right." Make it fun and allow your kids choices as much as possible.

Snacking on a hike:)