Now that kids are back to school and life is in full force it’s totally time to get down to business with the meals. I try as hard as possible to keep my son healthy, especially since I grew up battling the bulge. It’s not always an easy task to get your kids to really and truly understand the value of health and eating well! And if your house is like mine, you’re always fighting the food fits. I’ve learned a few lessons along the way and would love to share my tips with you! Remember..I’m not a doctor or dietitian.
I’m just a REAL MOM sharing my real life.
Tips to Fight the Food Fits
1) NEVER label your foods. “Good” or “Bad”. Mega no-no and lesson learned here. Always turn your statement to your kids more positive like “Eating this will help you be great at baseball” or “Eating this isn’t going to help you be a better dancer.”
2) NEVER reward with food. Oh dear heavens. I know I have personally disobeyed this one. “I’ll give you a cookie if you give me 5 minutes!” Don’t do that. Cause that is soooo counter productive to all the hard work you’re already doing.
3) YOU plate the meals… not them. By doing this at a young age, you can teach your kids the right portion size. I remember as a kid growing up (which I think could be a contributing factor to my food struggles) at family parties I plated my own foods. And my parents never told me that I could load up my plate. When your kids get to a certain age, then use it as a lesson to them. Teach them how to do it and do it right!
4) If you’re packing lunches, pack something FUN. My kid is a yogurt junky. He would eat yogurt for breakfast, lunch and dinner if I let him. I actually found a yogurt that is FUN that he adores! Muller Yogurt, a new brand of yogurt from Europe is FILLED with fun! There are tons of flavors to choose from and the ‘dunking’ ones? Yes. My kid feels like a pro baller with that ‘dunk’! He loves the corners.
5) Make it a GAME! Take a favorite food that your kids love and 2 others. Put them on a plate, blindfold your kid & have them do a taste test. Sometimes we use a dip to go along with the fruits. And once again the Muller Yogurt has been a lifesaver. I make a yogurt dip out of the plain Muller great for veggies & we use the yogurt mix like the corners or FruitUps for fruit dips. YUM! Not only is Muller Yogurt fun, but they are great for calcium and protein too!
What is your favorite way to fight the food fits?
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Joey Fortman, a good friend of Mamanista co-editor Debbie, currently hosts Real Mom Radio on WBEN in Philadelphia & she’s also a contributing parenting expert on Fox, NBC and other traditional media outlets. Joey has been featured nationally on Dr. Phil, Dr. Oz, Anderson Cooper, Redbook, The Talk & The Today Show. Check out her life as a ‘real mom’ in the media at www.RealMomMedia.com.
