Better eating habits and kids....Need more help!!

[Dace]

HELP!

My kids love over processed non-food. I am hell bent on changing the way we all eat.

I am trying to make gentle changes, like pretzels over potato chips (still crap) and raw nuts over crackers, I have plenty of veggies and fruit on hand, yogurt, cheese, whole grain bread, eggs.....still have white bagels and white pizza crust (at least it is homemade) white tortillas and chicken nuggets ....but my goal is to wean them, as much as I reasonably can, off of it all. and onto more whole food choices.

They are not pleased with me, mainly because it is summer and they are lounging around wanting to snack on crap.

Anyone have any tricks or advice? I am trying to put good choices in front of them but we are on the verge of a coup. I am not making them go cold turkey, but I also want them to understand better food choices are important to their health. Please help

 

[dipence71]

I started getting fresh fruit and veggies for myself as I am dieting. I started buying "diet" food low cal fat free ect ect. I told the kids that this shelf is my diet food and to stay out of it I got them their regular snacks and such. Well that's all it took the don't want their stuff they want MINE!!!

So tell them they can't have it and they will want it. It works every time, they want what we tell them they can't have.....


P.S. proof that they will take my stuff over their: I just went shopping and purchased a box of 100cal snacks and the same thing in regular snack(way over 100 calorie). Side by side still in the box they dig out both and open MINE and leave theirs alone.

 

[dipence71]

P.S.S. monkey see monkey do if you eat healthy and such they will follow. I did this without the "trying" to get them to eat healthier.

 

[Dace]

That will work with my 6 yr old...she is still mold-able. it is the 13 & 16 yrs olds that are making me crazy!

 

[big brown horse]

You have to not have it in the house. Just don't buy it. They will migrate to what ever you have replaced it with eventually.

I also have a big big basket on the counter at all times filled with fruits such as oranges, apples and bananas. I tell my daughter she can eat as much of that as she wants...freerange style.

I love to make soups and fill them up with every veggie available. Chili and spaghetti are good ways to hide veggies too.

Gardening is fun too to get them eating veggies and herbs! I always had an herb garden filled with parsley, mint, thyme etc. (The thyme had its own section called the thyme machine and was filled with many varieties of thyme. I used to tell her that each tiny thyme leaf that she ate she imagine going through time. Silly I know, but it worked.) Today as we were getting our new sheep, my daughter showed off a bit and stood in the garden grazing on all the veggies she helped me plant.

Smoothies are a blast to make and you can hide spinach, carrots, yogurt and herbs etc in them. Freemotion has a good recipe that I read about on her food diary.

 

[big brown horse]

Those teenagers can plow through your pantry cant they!!!!!

 

[noobiechickenlady]

Could you have a sit down meeting with them, and go over the good vs crap details? Print out some of the information and take it to them. Have them pick out some favorites and then, do what bbh said. Just keep the junk out of the house!

My 7yo can understand "If you eat junk, your body won't work right. Your brain won't work right. This is junk, this is not." Now she asks memaw for bananas or grapes instead of FrootLoop "yogurt".

It may take some time. Remember when you changed brands of toothpaste or light dressing vs whole fat? It tasted different, but after a time you got used to the flavor and now the old stuff tastes funky.

 

[big brown horse]

I used to make "baked fried chicken" with a little corn meal, ww flour and wheatgerm and seasonings like dried parsley, cayenne (very lightly for kiddos) and paprika. I dipped the breast strips in egg and then patted it down in the dry ingrediants I listed above.

Oh, I loved making meat loaf and put all kinds of grated veggies in that sucker! If you don't like the grease, you can put that "white bread" that you still have on hand under the loaf before cooking...then feed it to the chickens or something after you bake the meat loaf. I've used ground turkey for this too. Serve with a salad and mashed potatoes. Look at all the veggies!

ETA typos!

 

[big brown horse]

I like noobie's idea of a nice sit down meeting. Older kids really respond to that. Ask them for input or have them do a little research on the healthy food they want you to buy. Let them COOK when you try out new "healthier" recipes.

 

[freemotion]

Well, I don't have kids but I was one and I remember the shift in our house at just the ages your teens are at. At one point my father said something to the effect that this is what we are buying, we are doing this for your good. Complaining is rude, if you are rude and complain, you will be punished. When you live on your own and are paying for everything, you can make your own decisions. Until that day, this is how it is.

This was after trying the other methods. Once the law was laid down, we shut up and ate, and found out that real food is quite good. There is always an adjustment period. If you say this and that are bad for you, but buy them anyways, you are sending the wrong message.

We were allowed to buy candy and junk with our own money, but it was so scarce (money, that is) and we wanted other things, that we rarely did. We did have sweets on occasion, but all homemade, and mostly healthy, like puddings and fruit pies and such. Oatmeal walnut cookies! Mmmmm! But....on occasion.

No sugary drinks came into the house. We drank milk and water. And tea on occasion.

If they are involved in your learning process and in food preparation, that will help, too. I have a good friend who is quite impressive with her kids.....they stayed here for a few days last summer, Mom, Dad, and the four kids ranging in ages from 5-12. Being childless, you'd think I'd be ready for a visit to the asyllum! But these kids were so different.....I asked her about it, and one thing she does is each kid is assigned to one day a week of meal preparation. This involves choosing a recipe, shopping (with her), preparing the meal, setting the table, and serving the family! And clean up! She does all the steps with the child, and they really enjoy all the work because they get mom all to themselves for hours once a week. And they have really expanded their tastes for different, healthy foods.

Just some thoughts!