So Tired Of This Battle!! EATING!

[wahmof3]

all of the parents ask me how in the world do you get my kids to eat this stuff.

my DCKs eat brown rice seaweed wraps A LOT??

Most kids need many times of seeing, smelling, and tasting a food before they learn to like it. So I serve it often and get them to try it each time. If they don't like it after trying it, then I let them throw it away.

Don't make a big deal out it

My own kids "crave" the healthy stuff. They LOVE kale chips and some vegan recipes I make. We eat out too, but not a whole lot. In fact my kids get upset when I say lets go to TB.

Yet another reason I have a hard time with kids that won't eat for me

[Country Kids]

for kids this rule is different because their stomachs are smaller......and it is healthy to eat about every 3 hours so taht your body does not go inot starvation mode.

BUT I do agree with what you are saying I do think Americans (most) eat wayyyyyyyy to much

also wanted to add, just think about how active children are too, the ones that are more active will burn their calories faster therefor needing to eat sooner than an adult. well that is if you are not acting like a hyper child that is....

I honestly believe though there isn't enough time between breakfast and lunch for a snack. In my eyes its either you serve snack or you serve lunch not both.

Also, mine are sometimes not hungry for an afternoon snack because of still be full from lunch and they have only napped in those 2-3 hours. So you either let them eat a later snack and screw up dinner or just have them wait till dinner.

Also, if you don't fill kids up with carbs they won't be as hungry as often either because they haven't burned off the bad carbs as fast. For breakfast we had oatmeal/applesauce/banana and mine didn't even finsh because they were getting filled up and didn't want to feel stuffed before school. I knew though that it would stick to the ribs till lunch!

[daycare]

My own kids "crave" the healthy stuff. They LOVE kale chips and some vegan recipes I make. We eat out too, but not a whole lot. In fact my kids get upset when I say lets go to TB.

Yet another reason I have a hard time with kids that won't eat for me

OMG I Love kale one of my most favs...

Another thing I do is I cook with the kids at least 2x a week. We will get online and look at food. BOth healthy choices and not healthy. Together we decide which one is healthy and together as a class we make it. Of course I assit 100% of it and then we have it for afternoon snack. Or if we can do it right after circle time, we sometimes have it for am snack or lunch.

a fun easy one:

plain yogurt or greek

offer:
real vanilla
agave
cinnamon
blue berries or dif fresh fruit (let the kids decide on everything and help them to add)

as we are doing this we sing: first you get the _________and you mix it youy mix it. It helps alot if your a huge dork like me....

I get everyone of the kids to eat it like this.....

[daycare]

I honestly believe though there isn't enough time between breakfast and lunch for a snack. In my eyes its either you serve snack or you serve lunch not both.

Also, mine are sometimes not hungry for an afternoon snack because of still be full from lunch and they have only napped in those 2-3 hours. So you either let them eat a later snack and screw up dinner or just have them wait till dinner.

Also, if you don't fill kids up with carbs they won't be as hungry as often either because they haven't burned off the bad carbs as fast. For breakfast we had oatmeal/applesauce/banana and mine didn't even finsh because they were getting filled up and didn't want to feel stuffed before school. I knew though that it would stick to the ribs till lunch!

yes and no....it all depends on your eating schedule. But I do think that am snack and lunch are too close together.

we eat at 745 am breakfast
1030 am snack which I make small

1230 lunch

ALl of my full time kids have gotten used to eating this schedule. It also helps alot if you follow the amounts that you are supposed to serve based on age.

[MamaBearCanada]

Can you mix the fruit/veg and grains together more so they can't just eat the grain?

Eg. Healthy pancake mix with a fruit/veg serving mixed in with the batter?
Banana rolled in crushed plain Cheerios
Puréed fruit as 'jam' on their bread?
Whole wheat tortillas with cream cheese & fruit rolled up inside?
Could you make your own 'Lunchables' (I would never served the actual stuff)?

Other than that keep offering that's all you can do.

[daycare]

I was told NO you can;t do this. The reason is is that you can not actually account for the amount of serving of fruit that you are giving them.

so if you add it in the batter one kid may get 1/3 or 1/4, but the serving says 1/2. Trust me I tried that one with my food lady and she told me no.

[Country Kids]

yes and no....it all depends on your eating schedule. But I do think that am snack and lunch are too close together.

we eat at 745 am breakfast
1030 am snack which I make small

1230 lunch

ALl of my full time kids have gotten used to eating this schedule. It also helps alot if you follow the amounts that you are supposed to serve based on age.

That used to be my eating schedule-threw out tons and tons of food at lunch. They weren't hungry for it.

Took at morning snack and know they eagerly come to lunch asking what we are having and 9 times out of 10 every one ends with a clean plate-

[daycare]

That used to be my eating schedule-threw out tons and tons of food at lunch. They weren't hungry for it.

Took at morning snack and know they eagerly come to lunch asking what we are having and 9 times out of 10 every one ends with a clean plate-

if the food program would let me take out the am snack I would throw it out like yesterday......

[Country Kids]

if the food program would let me take out the am snack I would throw it out like yesterday......

Mine didn't care as I still serve breakfast/lunch/pm snack. They don't really say what we meals we can/can't serve here.

Another weird difference with the food program!

[daycare]

Mine didn't care as I still serve breakfast/lunch/pm snack. They don't really say what we meals we can/can't serve here.

Another weird difference with the food program!

maybe I can and I have just never asked......?????

[Blackcat31]

Meal struggles are something I do NOT participate in.

I serve healthy well balanced meals.

The kids eat or they don't.

I place all the meal components on their plates. The kids choose what they are going to eat.

I don't allow seconds in anything unless the entire plate is clean.

I NEVER insist, force or make kids taste or take a thank-you bite.

For snacks I only serve veggies. I don't offer fruit for snacks except on a rare occassion.

Usually for lunch I will include two vegetables instead of 1 veggie and 1 fruit.

If I toss food (which is rare here, thank goodness) I don't stress about it.

It is what it is and whether the food is eaten or tossed still nets the same results. Someone gets full. Most times, it is the DCK's but sometimes it is the garbage can.

[Country Kids]

Meal struggles are something I do NOT participate in.

I serve healthy well balanced meals.

The kids eat or they don't.

I place all the meal components on their plates. The kids choose what they are going to eat.

I don't allow seconds in anything unless the entire plate is clean.

I NEVER insist, force or make kids taste or take a thank-you bite.

For snacks I only serve veggies. I don't offer fruit for snacks except on a rare occassion.

Usually for lunch I will include two vegetables instead of 1 veggie and 1 fruit.

If I toss food (which is rare here, thank goodness) I don't stress about it.

It is what it is and whether the food is eaten or tossed still nets the same results. Someone gets full. Most times, it is the DCK's but sometimes it is the garbage can.

Why never fruit? Aren't they just as necessary as a vegetable. Also, I know if a child isn't getting vegetables at home they more then likely aren't going to be getting fruits.

I actually have had children that wouldn't eat fruit because they had NEVER had them. I don't count serving applesauce as a way of saying your child eats fruits.

[daycare]

OMG the other day I was in line at the local grocery store. a lady in front of me had 3 kids in her cart. her child that was in the top part of the cart kept poking at all of my stuff on the counter. He was about 3-4 years old. He kept poking at my bags of fruit. Asking his mom whats that, pointing at the apples, then oranges, carrots, and so on.

I look to see what they have.....chips, soda, cookies, noodle packs, can meats, can soups, can meatballs, etc etc. I look at the boy and said would you like to have one of my oranges. His eyes got soooo big and he looked at his mom and she says no, you wont like that I bought you cookies....

UGHhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh Part of me wanted to smack that mom....

[Country Kids]

OMG the other day I was in line at the local grocery store. a lady in front of me had 3 kids in her cart. her child that was in the top part of the cart kept poking at all of my stuff on the counter. He was about 3-4 years old. He kept poking at my bags of fruit. Asking his mom whats that, pointing at the apples, then oranges, carrots, and so on.

I look to see what they have.....chips, soda, cookies, noodle packs, can meats, can soups, can meatballs, etc etc. I look at the boy and said would you like to have one of my oranges. His eyes got soooo big and he looked at his mom and she says no, you wont like that I bought you cookies....

UGHhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh Part of me wanted to smack that mom....

Thats what I mean-if we don't give it to them who will?

I will deprive them of the junk but never the healthy!!!

I want them to know (especially when things are in season) that fruit and veggies DO NOT come from can!!!

So here is another big question, if anyone can answer: Do other cultures eat alot of fruit/veggies???? Is it maiinly meat and grains?

A friend and I were talking about if Hispanic people eat only veggies (actually mainly grains) but not real fruit and vegies? My husbands family is hispanic and I don't think they really ever ate alot of fruit/veggies while growing up. When I'm in the store the Hispanics always have alot of produce but not fruit/veggies.

Is it mainly an American thing?

[daycare]

Thats what I mean-if we don't give it to them who will?

I will deprive them of the junk but never the healthy!!!

I want them to know (especially when things are in season) that fruit and veggies DO NOT come from can!!!

So here is another big question, if anyone can answer: Do other cultures eat alot of fruit/veggies???? Is it maiinly meat and grains?

A friend and I were talking about if Hispanic people eat only veggies (actually mainly grains) but not real fruit and vegies? My husbands family is hispanic and I don't think they really ever ate alot of fruit/veggies while growing up. When I'm in the store the Hispanics always have alot of produce but not fruit/veggies.

Is it mainly an American thing?

I cant say that it is.. I ate tons of fruit that was available to me as a child growing up in my home county. It may have to do with parent preference.

I will say that here I get a larger variety of fruits that I did as a child. I am sure that has a lot to do with the agricultural laws that they have in the states. I used to farm on my uncles farm as a child.

Also I ate a lot of fish growing up