2680: How to Help Children Become Healthy Eaters - Especially Vegetables? by Dr. Laura Markham of Peaceful Parent Happy Kids

[00:00:00] [SPEAKER_00]: This is Optimal Health Daily. How to Help Children Become Healthy Eaters, Especially Vegetables by Dr. Laura Markham of PeacefulParentHappyKids.com.

[00:00:10] [SPEAKER_00]: And I'm Dr. Neal, your very own personal narrator.

[00:00:14] [SPEAKER_00]: Hey there! Happy Monday and welcome back to another week of Optimal Health Daily.

[00:00:18] [SPEAKER_00]: This is where I read to you from some of the best health and fitness blogs on the web.

[00:00:22] [SPEAKER_00]: Kind of like an ongoing audiobook and always with my commentary at the end.

[00:00:27] [SPEAKER_00]: Alright and with that, let's get right to today's post as we optimize your life.

[00:00:36] [SPEAKER_00]: How to Help Children Become Healthy Eaters, Especially Vegetables by Dr. Laura Markham of PeacefulParentHappyKids.com

[00:00:46] [SPEAKER_00]: Question.

[00:00:47] [SPEAKER_00]: Dr. Laura, can you recommend an approach for kids to ensure they eat their five servings of fruits and veggies every day?

[00:00:54] [SPEAKER_00]: When do you offer them? What if they spit them out? Do we insist they eat?

[00:00:59] [SPEAKER_00]: How do we respect their wishes and yet ensure they don't become kids who pick out veggies from their foods and become picky eaters?

[00:01:07] [SPEAKER_00]: We have a two year old and a four year old. Thanks.

[00:01:11] [SPEAKER_00]: Answer. I'm not a nutritionist. I'm a psychologist.

[00:01:15] [SPEAKER_00]: But I have found that psychology plays a part in helping children learn to eat healthy.

[00:01:20] [SPEAKER_00]: The reason kids resist new foods is that new foods could be dangerous.

[00:01:24] [SPEAKER_00]: In other words, kids who just ate anything new who were adventurous eaters often did not live to pass on their genes.

[00:01:33] [SPEAKER_00]: Most toddlers and many preschoolers do not like their food to touch.

[00:01:38] [SPEAKER_00]: In other words, to be mixed up. Some do but most don't.

[00:01:42] [SPEAKER_00]: I think that's part of the self protective thing that ensures they don't inadvertently eat something poisonous.

[00:01:48] [SPEAKER_00]: So most kids do like it better when the veggies are separated from the pasta for instance and will pick them out.

[00:01:56] [SPEAKER_00]: Research has shown that the most important factor in getting kids to eat new foods is exposing them to the food.

[00:02:03] [SPEAKER_00]: In other words, even if they won't try asparagus the first three times it's on their plate, they might try it the fourth time.

[00:02:10] [SPEAKER_00]: Eventually they are almost certain to try it.

[00:02:13] [SPEAKER_00]: If you consistently serve lots of veggies your children will eat veggies.

[00:02:18] [SPEAKER_00]: And I think all children love fruit if they are served it all the time as long as they don't get a lot of sweets.

[00:02:24] [SPEAKER_00]: Kids eat what gets served at their house.

[00:02:27] [SPEAKER_00]: If a child really does not like a specific vegetable that's served that night then why not have a rule that they can have a different one that night?

[00:02:36] [SPEAKER_00]: My own personal rule was always that they could have raw carrots out of the bag in place of a veggie they didn't like.

[00:02:41] [SPEAKER_00]: It's still very nutritious and most kids like carrots.

[00:02:45] [SPEAKER_00]: With a two-year-old you would need to be sure they eat them safely of course.

[00:02:49] [SPEAKER_00]: The other easy option is frozen uncooked peas.

[00:02:53] [SPEAKER_00]: Many kids love the cold texture so you can easily pour some peas on their plate if they don't want their brussel sprouts.

[00:03:01] [SPEAKER_00]: Remember that since kids are small they don't need very much of any one food to equal the serving.

[00:03:07] [SPEAKER_00]: How to get the five fruits and veggies then?

[00:03:09] [SPEAKER_00]: If you always serve at least one veggie and one salad at dinner and you always have fruit for dessert or before dessert if you have a sweet dessert for a special occasion

[00:03:19] [SPEAKER_00]: then kids will always get at least two veggies and a fruit at dinner.

[00:03:23] [SPEAKER_00]: You can always serve fruit with breakfast and fruit with lunch too.

[00:03:27] [SPEAKER_00]: For another veggie why not make veggies a snack during the day?

[00:03:31] [SPEAKER_00]: Kids are more likely to eat them then when they aren't by the pasta or whatever the child prefers on the dinner plate.

[00:03:37] [SPEAKER_00]: I think that hungry time of day at 4 p.m. is the perfect time for veggies.

[00:03:43] [SPEAKER_00]: Celery sticks with peanut butter are a time-honored kid-pleasing snack but why not branch out?

[00:03:49] [SPEAKER_00]: Baked sweet potatoes are very nutritious and make a great snack with a little sea salt.

[00:03:54] [SPEAKER_00]: Cut up red pepper or zucchini sticks don't even need dip.

[00:03:57] [SPEAKER_00]: Most kids like roasted veggies and they're good served at room temperature so make extra when you cook them for dinner

[00:04:03] [SPEAKER_00]: and serve them to your children as snacks throughout the week.

[00:04:07] [SPEAKER_00]: Sprouts may sound like they wouldn't be kid-friendly but when my daughter got to be school age

[00:04:11] [SPEAKER_00]: she would always snack on the healthy things I put in front of her while she was doing homework.

[00:04:16] [SPEAKER_00]: So I would give her little dishes of greens to snack on and now that she's a teen

[00:04:21] [SPEAKER_00]: she eats sprouts and raw mild greens as snacks.

[00:04:25] [SPEAKER_00]: There are also many recipes online that help you to hide veggies in foods you cook.

[00:04:30] [SPEAKER_00]: I don't think of this as tricking kids so much as, this is the way we cook it at our house.

[00:04:36] [SPEAKER_00]: So for instance, I always grind a little bit of spinach up into my spaghetti sauce

[00:04:40] [SPEAKER_00]: and add butternut squash to mac and cheese.

[00:04:43] [SPEAKER_00]: Kids like the taste of the dish and as they get older

[00:04:46] [SPEAKER_00]: they just accept those ingredients as part of your secret yummy recipe.

[00:04:50] [SPEAKER_00]: All humans have likes and dislikes but some people are more picky as eaters than others.

[00:04:56] [SPEAKER_00]: However, most kids will branch out and develop a broader range of foods they like

[00:05:01] [SPEAKER_00]: by the time they are teenagers.

[00:05:03] [SPEAKER_00]: I would never force a child to eat a specific food.

[00:05:07] [SPEAKER_00]: I think it's fine to ask them to try one taste but if they don't want more

[00:05:11] [SPEAKER_00]: or even if they spit it out that's their prerogative.

[00:05:15] [SPEAKER_00]: In other words, I would never insist a child eat something she feels like spitting out.

[00:05:20] [SPEAKER_00]: In my personal experience from childhood

[00:05:22] [SPEAKER_00]: that almost guarantees she will always hate that food.

[00:05:26] [SPEAKER_00]: Also, research shows that rewarding kids for eating veggies

[00:05:30] [SPEAKER_00]: for instance by serving them dessert can backfire.

[00:05:34] [SPEAKER_00]: It seems to solidify that veggies must really be disgusting

[00:05:38] [SPEAKER_00]: or we wouldn't need to reward them for eating them.

[00:05:41] [SPEAKER_00]: Mostly I should reassure you that most kids end up eating diets

[00:05:44] [SPEAKER_00]: much like what they grew up eating.

[00:05:46] [SPEAKER_00]: So enjoy your own healthy meals

[00:05:48] [SPEAKER_00]: and your children will eventually follow in your footsteps.

[00:05:56] [SPEAKER_00]: You just listened to the post titled

[00:05:58] [SPEAKER_00]: How to Help Children Become Healthy Eaters

[00:06:00] [SPEAKER_00]: Especially Vegetables by Dr. Laura Markham

[00:06:03] [SPEAKER_00]: of peacefulparenthappykids.com

[00:06:06] [SPEAKER_00]: and I'll be right back with my commentary.

[00:06:09] [SPEAKER_00]: Dr. Neal here for my commentary.

[00:06:12] [SPEAKER_00]: All of Dr. Laura's suggestions were fantastic.

[00:06:14] [SPEAKER_00]: Another one that researchers have found can work

[00:06:17] [SPEAKER_00]: is to involve children in the planning and preparing a family meal.

[00:06:21] [SPEAKER_00]: Children love to see how their efforts are enjoyed

[00:06:24] [SPEAKER_00]: and appreciated by the family.

[00:06:26] [SPEAKER_00]: So have the child suggest a meal

[00:06:28] [SPEAKER_00]: that they would want the family to eat.

[00:06:30] [SPEAKER_00]: If they suggest something that's not so nutritious

[00:06:32] [SPEAKER_00]: like mac and cheese,

[00:06:34] [SPEAKER_00]: gently guide them in a new direction

[00:06:35] [SPEAKER_00]: by suggesting alternatives

[00:06:38] [SPEAKER_00]: or asking them if they want to help you

[00:06:40] [SPEAKER_00]: browse for recipes on the internet.

[00:06:42] [SPEAKER_00]: Then have the child help with making a grocery shopping list.

[00:06:46] [SPEAKER_00]: When it comes time to shop for the foods,

[00:06:48] [SPEAKER_00]: bring them along.

[00:06:50] [SPEAKER_00]: Have them help pick up the best ingredients for the recipe

[00:06:53] [SPEAKER_00]: especially when it comes to any produce.

[00:06:55] [SPEAKER_00]: If possible, have them help prepare the meal

[00:06:58] [SPEAKER_00]: and taste it along the way.

[00:07:01] [SPEAKER_00]: By the end of this adventure you may find

[00:07:03] [SPEAKER_00]: they are happily eating foods that they would have refused to try

[00:07:06] [SPEAKER_00]: just a few days before.

[00:07:08] [SPEAKER_00]: Alright, that'll do it for the Monday episode.

[00:07:11] [SPEAKER_00]: Thank you so much for being here every day

[00:07:13] [SPEAKER_00]: and sharing this show with others.

[00:07:14] [SPEAKER_00]: I hope you have a great start to your week

[00:07:16] [SPEAKER_00]: and I'll be back here tomorrow as usual

[00:07:18] [SPEAKER_00]: where your optimal life awaits.