Monday, May 27, 2013

Teaching our Kids to Eat Well

I don't think enough importance is placed on supper together. So many people have overscheduled their kids to the point that meals are skipped, or take out is brought in. Is your child going to end up being a professional soccer player? Or a professional dancer? Likely not. But throughout their lives they do need to eat, and how we teach our kids to eat will set them up for a lifetime of good health.

I've been saying this for a while. But finally when I started to read "French Kids Eat Everything", did I read it worded so elegantly. Apparantly, in France, teaching children to eat well is considered a very important education!

If we, ourselves, aren't prepared to take on delivering this education, we need to educate ourselves first! Then we need to find recipes that excite us, shop for food that is beautiful and healthy (do I need to mention the Farmer's Market again? The vegetables are so fresh and colourful, they inspire meals!) Involve your kids in planning, shopping and meal prep. Kids are very willing to help in the kitchen. They can spin salad greens, tear lettuce leaves, peel carrots, stir, knead....And they are much more likely to eat new foods if they've been involved in the preparation.

We have "Kids night" at our house. The kids choose what to have that night and we all eat it. My six year old ordered broccoli soup for his birthday dinner, and as I metnioned before, my now four year old, has requested salad tonight! (today's his birthday!!) Edamame Noodle Bowls and tofu alfredo are other faves.

Find what works for your family. Try plan activities around meals. Family time spent cooking is valuable time, see the value in it and plan for it. Once you get the hang of planning, it isn't hard to keep going. We are sometimes surprised by how long we've spent in a meal prep, because done in stages, it seems like hardly any time at all.

Go on this amazing adventure as a family! Happy Eating!

No comments:

Post a Comment