Feed Your Kids Right

The ultimate solution to kids eating better is to actively involve them in the process. Every kid I know is interested in cooking. The only thing that seems to hold them back are parents that cannot be bothered with it. But by now all of you know that taking the time and preparing a nice healthy home-cooked family meal is the only way to go, so it's time to let in the kids and let the real fun begin. One great way is to focus on the colors of different foods. Bell peppers his much of the rainbow. Use color to entice your kids. Make food about fun and not drudgery. Look for recipes that allow for a lot of prep away from the burners and knives. If you are chopping, simply put what you are doing into another bowl and let your child dump that into the pan. It's more fun than you think as long as you emphasize the fact that you are a team and building something together. Before long you will also realize that cooking together is a real chance to spent time with your kids as well as taking care of their nutritional needs.

And maybe the most important part of the whole family meal thing is to remember that your dinner is not about you. My wife will try to push her veggies off to the side of her plate or even make faces at certain things. At least she did until I kind of lost my mind and strongly exhorted her to remember that her responses are mimicked by our son. She got the point and even seems to use the "it's not about you" line as a mantra. Whatever works I suppose.

I'm not saying that I am the greatest tender of my child or that we don't dine on the occasional pizza or french fry, but those nights really are in the minority and I think the decision to engage Maksim's eating habits rather than avoid them will serve him and my future grandchildren well in the long run.