My Kid Won't Eat That

When I tell people who are trying to clean up their diets to simply get rid of the junk in their house their response is often, "But my kids won't eat that"!
Oh, yeah! Blame it on the kids, who can't drive a car to the store and purchase groceries on their own!!! When people ask what I eat, I often get an expression of confusion. Their noses crinkle up and they ask, "what's kin-oh-uh?" (Quinoa, actually pronounced "keen-wah"). Then they proceed to make up all kinds of excuses about how their kids will never eat that...(or them, for that matter...).  Here's the thing...You simply can not achieve your fitness goals and desired body composition by eating processed, sugar laden foods. AND YOUR KIDS DON'T NEED TO EAT IT EITHER!!
"A typical 20-ounce soda contains 15 to 18 teaspoons of sugar and upwards of 240 calories. A 64-ounce fountain cola drink could have up to 700 calories.  People who drink this “liquid candy” do not feel as full as if they had eaten the same calories from solid food and do not compensate by eating less."  Click here for more statistics on our nation's sugar consumption.  It's no wonder childhood obesity is on the rise.
If YOU don't buy it, NO ONE will eat it. Make it a goal for your entire family to eat more healthful. Start by making small changes, like adding more vegetables and fruits. Think outside the box and make it fun!

Here are a few ideas to get you and your family on the path to greater wellness:

• Have an after school snack bar.  Let your kiddos take turns managing it.
• Fill and ice tray with different fruits or vegetables, ask them to close their eyes and experiment with the various textures and flavors.
• Blindfold them and ask them to guess which fruit or vegetable they are tasting.
• Make homemade popsicles out of pureed fruits and veggies.  Kids love experimenting and the more they are involved, the more likely they will try new foods!

They might resist at first if they're used to eating a lot of processed foods, but the reward is greater than the struggle if you just stick with it.

We've included a few of our favorite recipes for treats our kids love in our FOOD section.

Be Well,
BW