creative kid snacks

September 12, 2011 by 2 Comments

The other day Dave and I were wrangling Lucy at the drug store.

“Daddy, look at THIS! I want it!” 

“Mommy, it’s pink! It’s CINDERELLA SHAMPOO! Can I drink it?” 

“I NEED THIS TOW MATER BALL! NO I DON’T WANT TOW MATER I WANT LIGHTENING McQUEEN!” 

Dave looks at me. “Why is marketing so damn effective for kids? They are the biggest suckers for advertising EVER.”

It’s true. If you want to see a toddler meltdown, tell them they can’t have that Thomas the Train frisbee. As parents, it’s incredibly frustrating. Sometimes I feel like the companies responsible are suckering me out of my money because they know a pink princess potty will work for toilet training. They know a Dora water bottle will get Little Miss Picky to drink more liquids. They know a Hello Kitty Band Aid will calm the crying after a scraped knee. And even if your kid has never watched television, they somehow know who all these cartoon characters are. Gah!

But what I’ve come to realize is that gimmicks work because kids just don’t want things to be boring. They want something they can identify with, something that’s fun. So as parents, we can totally use this to our advantage.

Take snacking, for example. I have a heck of a time getting Lucy to snack healthy. I’ve tried every trick in the book and she still whines for granola bars and goldfish. But if I make snacks fun—give her an activity within the snack—it works like a charm.

I give you the Peanut Butter Fishin’ Hole. Stick pretzels in a lake of peanut butter (hippie peanut butter—natural with no added sugar), surrounded by dried blueberries.

The sticky peanut butter allows your little one to “fish” for blueberries. I guarantee you’ll hear “Mom! I got one!” over and over. Lucy even asks for this one for breakfast.

Her other favorite? The Hummus Hut. Get architectural with some thick hummus, a few baby carrots and some snap peas.

If your kid’s imagination is anything like Lucy’s, they’ll be making up stories about who lives in the house (for her, it’s a monkey and a sock), how they water the garden, where they park the car, what they eat for dinner…and then their humble abode will be munched to pieces. Poor little hut dwellers.

It’s also fun to make hummus cars using olives or grape tomatoes as wheels. Zoom, zoom.

And the last member of my creative snack arsenal is Nutella Builders. Cut up fruit into different shapes and sizes, add a dollop of Nutella and break apart a few graham crackers.

Give your tiny snacker a child-safe knife for spreading the Nutella (or let them use their fingers if you like) and then watch them get creative with the fruit. Clearly I’m not as inspired as my toddler because I made a happy face. Lucy has been known to create puppies, hospitals and motorcycles. If you don’t have Nutella it’s easy to substitute cream cheese, peanut butter, or even hummus with crackers and chopped veggies.

Your little one doesn’t want anything to be dull, so let them use a little creative energy during snack time. You might even be able to steer them toward healthier, whole foods. Steering them away from that Disney Princess Halloween costume, however? Sorry. Can’t help you there.

What are your tricks to get kids to snack healthy?

 

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raising healthy eaters: part 2

April 21, 2010 by 7 Comments

Last week I told you about a lecture I attended by healthy food guru Cynthia Lair. It was informative. Daunting. Overwhelming. Interesting. At times, hilarious. And more than anything, made me question what I feed myself and my family. If you haven’t already, read part 1 from the link above and then come back and join me right here.

The quick and dirty recap of last week: listen to what your body really needs when it’s hungry and eat a diet that mostly consists of whole foods (whole grains, animal proteins, nuts and seeds, dairy, fruits, and vegetables). And a reminder/disclaimer: this is what I gleaned from Cynthia’s talk. It’s not verbatim, and I’m not attempting to put words in her mouth. I’m simply relaying what I learned from her, and I hope that it’s helpful for you as it was for me.

Before I get right down into it, I have to tell you a quick little aside. Husband and I snuck a date night this weekend and took in, ironically enough, Date Night with Tina Fey and Steve Carell.

I may or may not have peed my pants a teeny, tiny bit.

But hilarity, wet pants and car chases aside, one scene reminded me of what we’re about to discuss. Tina Fey’s character is complaining about how tired she is as a mom and how every night getting her kids to put on their pajamas turns into a huge argument, as if every single night it’s an utter surprise that they have to wear pajamas. How many of you can relate?

When it comes to the food issue, this is something that I absolutely, positively want to avoid. I don’t want squabbles every night (or at all) about what we’re eating, why it’s edible (or inedible), why I have to try it, why I can’t have pizza, why can’t the dog eat it, and why Timmy’s mom lets him have all the Flavor-Blasted BBQ Ranch Cheetos he wants.

Thankfully, our lovely expert had some words of wisdom about this tornado that is dinnertime, and how to emerge with (most of) your sanity in tact.

So here goes. After the ravishing Miss Lair discussed what our diets should (ideally) look like, she got into some of the more pesky issues that we as parents face around the dinner table. She began by laying out a set of general guidelines that she recommends families to follow.

Setting boundaries around food for kids:

  1. Honor mealtimes. Eat together at the table as much as is humanly possible. Studies have shown that families eat more healthfully when they eat together at home, and also that kids raised this way have higher self-esteem and are at lower risk for eating disorders and substance abuse.
  2. Provide excellent choices. You’re the adult. Not them—they won’t make healthy choices on their own, especially given the amount of junk foods that media and society is throwing in their faces every day. Provide healthy meals at home, and they’ll learn what is good for them and what is not.
  3. Make one meal. If Ms. Lair stressed anything, it’s this. If they don’t want to eat it, tough cookies. Expect some tantrums if this is a new rule for your family. There might be crying, tortured looks of hunger, stomping feet and lots of pouting. But don’t give in and open up that box of mac n cheese. Let them know that their dinner will be waiting for them whenever they’re ready to eat it.
  4. That being said, make sure to include a “winner” at every meal: something they recognize and like. Even if it’s bread and butter that’s the constant on the table every night, she explained, kids will eventually try new things as long as there is something that is not foreign served alongside of it. Sort of a security blanket, if you will.
  5. Keep your mouth shut, eat your dinner, and enjoy it. No, not the kids: YOU. Kids learn by example. If they see you eating and enjoying healthy foods, they’ll do the same.
  6. NO bribing, rewarding, or punishing with food. Yep, this means no “you’ll get your dessert once you clean your plate.” Not only can it lead to eating disorders, but it teaches them that eating is a game and that the parents are the players.
  7. Set clear rules about treats and “non-nutritious” meals. If you go order from Pizza Hut on fridays, set a clear boundary: this meal is only on fridays. This will prevent arguing and let your kids know what to expect when it comes to treats.
  8. 1 through 7 aside, listen and let them know that you are listening. When they say “I think broccoli is the devil,” acknowledge their statement and move on. No arguing, but let them know that they’ve been heard.
  9. My blogging software is automatically changing this list into roman numerals. And I apologize. I can’t help it.

Got all that? I sure don’t. Have you seen my daughter’s face? Let’s take a look:

Are you going to be the one to tell her that she can’t have that chocolate chip cookie until friday? Good. Cuz I don’t want to take the fall.

Even though you’ve got rules laid out and tricks up your sleeve, Miss Lair explains, you’ve still got to serve food that generally tastes good. After all, you’ll be eating it too. And when it comes to those pesky green things on the side of the plate that we like to call “vegetables,” as parents we can run into a bit of a dilemma. We’ve got to make them taste great. And here’s how.

Making vegetables attractive:

  • Butter and spices are totally allowed! They add to the flavor. No one says that you have to eat the green stuff only raw or steamed. If it’s a going in your mouth, for pete sakes, make it taste good. If the rest of your meal is relatively healthy, you can afford a little butter on your broccoli.
  • Invite your child to help you pick out and cook new vegetables. If they grab an eggplant from the produce aisle, roast it up. If they like the look of red Swiss chard, throw it in the frying pan. It will, if nothing else, keep vegetables interesting. And they might find one that they love!

But for every toddler who will eat spinach by the truckload, there are some who won’t touch a green food (or many foods, for that matter) with a ten-foot Lego. But Cynthia believes that picky eaters are preventable, and here’s how:

  • Picky eaters are created, and it starts from their first taste of “solids.” When you feed babies pre-packaged foods out of a jar, it teaches them that they get separate foods and that they taste bland.
  • “Kid food” in general (in restaurants, grocery stores, cafeterias) is poorer quality and and less healthy. When you go out to restaurants, don’t give them the kid’s menu—let them choose whatever they want from the regular one.
  • Don’t ask “what do you want to eat?” unless you have a short-order cook on staff. Give them two choices: this or that. It will prevent arguing, only allow for healthy choices, and make you less crazed around mealtimes. Plus, too many decisions is not great for kids; it can be overwhelming and stressful.

Whew. I know that’s a lot of info. And a whole heck of a lot to take into consideration when you’re more worried about running out of diapers than what to put on the dinner table. But I hope that Cynthia and I gave you something, for lack of a better phrase, to chew on.

And here are the take home messages that she’d like you to remember:

  1. Be a good role model.
  2. Read labels.
  3. Eat foods that could be prepared at home in your own kitchen. If you have an in-house chemical lab, that means that you can make all of the Flavor-Blasted BBQ Ranch Cheetos you want.

And here are the take home messages that I’d like you to remember:

  1. I had too much sushi for dinner. Or not enough. I can never tell.
  2. I’m not an expert on this subject. If you’d like to get your info directly from Cynthia Lair, who actually is an expert, you can read her blog and watch her cooking videos right here.
  3. Butter is necessary in life.
  4. Make one meal. For pete sakes.
  5. I love Steve Carell. But I love Mark Wahlberg much, much more.
  6. Roman numerals are a stupid, stupid way to make a list.

Oh, and here are some related links that are cool and awesome:

I love ya’ll. And I’m sorry for spewing you with hippie propaganda for the umpteenth time. I promise that my next post will be filled with mayonnaise of Paula Deen-esque proportions.

-RDG

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raising healthy eaters: part 1

April 15, 2010 by 6 Comments

I’m not the most clueless person in the world. I know that the pesto tortelinni that I ate for dinner last night was one of the worst possible food choices I could have made. I felt guilty for days after I fed my daughter a McDonald’s cheeseburger when we were on the road and in a rush. But feeling guilty about my food decisions doesn’t always translate into preventing bad ones. And when it comes to raising my daughter, I don’t want my poor decisions to set a bad example. I need to start with improving my own diet and work outwards.

So when heathy family eating guru Cynthia Lair was speaking in my neighborhood, I had to show up and hijack all the info that I could. She’s a nutrition professor at a local university, a mom, a fellow blogger, a published cookbook author, and a seriously funny lady. I was scribbling notes like a madwoman, and because I wanted to give a recap for all of you moms out there interested in what she had to say, I’m going to give you a summary in two parts (one today, one next week). I’ll try not to butcher her words, and keep in mind this is what I gleaned from her talk—others may have interpreted her advice differently and scribbled an entirely different 5 pages of notes. Her approach to healthy eating involves the whole family: one dinner cooked, one dinner eaten for everyone. No special meals for kids, no begging, no fighting, and no McDonald’s cheeseburgers.

I’m just kidding. That’s my own rule from now on. Cynthia is not one to banish foods from your diet. She’s an “in moderation” type ‘o gal.

So how do you get there? How do you achieve domestic culinary bliss for both kids and parents? I was dying to find out, and this spunky, petitie brunette, Power Point at-the-ready, didn’t disappoint.

She began with a simple question: how do we choose what we eat?

When you open your fridge, what’s going on in your head while you’re deciding what you feel like munching on? It may be a nagging, “I seriously have to eat three more servings of vegetables today?” Or it may be a justification: “I went to the gym. Therefore I can eat a gallon of ice cream.” Whatever you decide, and whatever logic takes you there, Cynthia explained that it’s seldom in touch with what your body really needs. That turkey sandwich may seem like a good choice, and it may very well be. But is your body in need of those particular foods? Would you be better off with a tuna salad? Pasta? Beans? Yogurt? Listening to your body, she explained, is nearly impossible given all of the preconceived notions we have about food, which are only multiplied and reinforced by media messages. But if you can try to shut off that mental chatter and listen to what your body is really asking for, you’ll be one step in the right direction.

Mine often tells me that I need to eat an entire bag of Cadbury Mini-Eggs. Luckily they’re only available once a year.

The conversation then inevitably turned to the question at hand: what should you eat? She explained from the get-go that she doesn’t label foods “good” or “bad”—in some cases the food that is the worst nutritionally might be the best choice. But she does advocate a diet full of “whole foods.” No, not the supermarket chain. Although maybe she shops there.

What she means by a “whole food” is one that meets the following general criteria:

  • A food that you can imagine growing. Froot Loops? Not so much. Unless there is a magical Froot Loop tree somewhere in the Yucatan. Toucan Sam is hangin’ out there as we speak.
  • A food that has one ingredient. Cool Whip is not one of these, much to my dismay.
  • A food that has not had much done to it since harvesting. Something that has been chopped up, purified, liquified, mixed together with a bunch of other chopped up, purified, liquified junk, and then packaged, shipped, unloaded, and finally placed on a supermarket shelf is not a whole food.
  • A food that has all of it’s original edible parts present. Hence the word whole.
  • A food that has been known to nourish humans on this planet for a long time. Like Splenda. It’s nourished me since 2006.

So, a family’s diet should consist of foods that are mostly whole. But if you’re anything like me, at this point you were on the verge of panic. We can eat…vegetables? Beans? Eggs? And….I’m out of ideas. Just as I was about to write Ms. Lair off as some Houdini trying to steal my delicious cooking mojo, she further explained what a diet full of whole foods would actually look like. And here’s what it would include:

  • Whole grains. Barley, brown rice, corn, oats, and whole wheat flour just to name a few. Phew. I may not be able to have Funyuns, but I can eat the heck out of some millet. Booyah.
  • Beans. Which are, as Cynthia explained, a complete protein when combined with whole grains. To demonstrate: black beans + corn = yummy and pretty darn good for you, especially when slathered in sour cream. I have problems.
  • Animal Protein in portions per day the size of your fist. That means for a kiddo, it’s a tiny amount and for an adult it can be larger. And I was pleased as pie to discover that Cynthia is on my hippie meat bandwagon: organic, ethically raised, properly fed, and hormone and antibiotic-free. RDG is so popular and widely-read that I have created a movement. And if you believe any part of that sentence you’re not as savvy as I thought you were.
  • Dairy. Preferably organic, especially when it comes to milk. And milk, contrary to popular belief, Cynthia explains, is not a drink. It’s a food and part of a food group. Although the ADA would lead you to believe otherwise, it’s not essential to a child’s growth and they don’t need as much as we’re told they do. So when my pediatrician tells me that Lucy should be drinking 24 ounces (?!?!) of whole milk per day, I can tell her to take the proverbial hike.
  • Nuts and seeds. You know, when they’re old enough for them not to be a choking hazard.

Whew. Got all that? Me neither. But I’m trying. I’m torn between jumping on the Cynthia Lair bandwagon and writing the whole thing off as “that hippie lecture I went to one time…remember?” I want to incorporate some of these ideas into our lives, but to put all my chips on the table would sacrifice a lot of what makes me happy (cooking unhealthy junk and blogging about it).

That’s all for today. I’m off to stock my cupboards with spelt, garbanzos and animal proteins the size of my fist. At least that’s what you should tell Cynthia if she asks.

Tune in next week for part deux of the lecture. Miss Lair has got a lot more tricks up her sleeves, as well as some practical tips for dealing with picky eaters and how to maintain sanity around mealtimes.

-RDG

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