As moms, we all know that it is always a challenge to get your child to eat the “good stuff.” But it is so important for kids, starting when they are eating baby food, to get a balanced diet of colorful fruits and vegetables (and proteins and fats and whole grains). I am always learning and I am certainly not the expert– but here is a few things that I have learned in my 3 and a half years of being a mommy.
1. bananas
My son starting off loving his babyfood, and when he was about 6 months, he started shoving it away and not enjoying it at all. We continued to feed it to him over the next few months because we knew how much he needed it (and he ate it because he was hungry!) but I also experimented with the food to try to make him like it. That’s when I remembered that Dr. Denmark says that the baby should get 1 banana in each meal. I wasn’t measuring when I made the food, so I started paying attention to make sure I got the right amount of fruits, vegetables, protein, oatmeal and banana. Sure enough, I definitely was not putting enough in his food. When I added the correct amount of bananas, he began LOVING his food again. He seriously cannot get enough of it.
2. make them hungry.
It is so easy to let kids snacks or a lot of small meals throughout the day. If their stomachs never have a chance to empty, then they are always hungry but never hungry enough to eat a good healthy meal. Dr. Denmark says strictly 3 meals a day and no snacks (starting at 4 months). Our family has 3 meals a day with a small snack in the afternoon to get them (and me!) through to dinner.
3. water
Drinking juice and milk throughout the day can decrease their appetite. In our family we all drink water throughout the day, but occasionally we will have juice for a treat and milk in cereal for breakfast.
4. make it look good!!
I got these images from Another Lunch. Seriously, this lady is amazing. I learned from her– put everything out together, make it colorful, add variety, make it look good! A few smileys and stars on your food will make it go along way (all the way to you child’s tummy!)
5. put it in a shake
We try to have a “green shake” at least once a day. We all love them and it is a great way to get some fruits and vegetables. The only thing is your children can’t see what you put in it, or they will never eat it! ha!
- blend spinach leaves and some juice (we use orange juice or juicy juice).
- add fruit (blueberries, strawberries, peaches, raspberries pineapple…whatever you have on hand). ALWAYS add banana. (makes it yummy!)
- blend all together, until smooth (add some ice if you aren’t using frozen fruit)
- enjoy!
– you can use whatever kind of “leafy” vegetable you want (some, such as arugula give it a terrible taste, so you will have to experiment!)
– I also add a carrot if I have one on hand.
– Sometimes Madeline gets a little picky about her shakes, so we will make a “pink shake” (mostly strawberries/rasberries (+ banana) for fruit and a little bit of spinach) or a “purple shake” (mostly blueberries (+banana) for fruit and a little bit of spinach), just to mix it up a little!
6. This may be totally obvious, but I just figured this out– fruit tastes SO much better when it is room temperature! I usually set berries, pineapple, grapes etc out on the counter after breakfast so they will be ready for lunch! Much juicer and easier on the teeth!
I would love to hear your thoughts on teething and what has worked for your children!
