What’s wrong with people food? For the most part it doesn’t support health. The sad truth is that most of America’s children don’t eat as well as their pets. That’s saying a lot, because most pet food is highly processed. At least pet food has measured amounts of nutrients for animals.

Only two percent of children meet the U.S. Food Guide Pyramid’s recommendations for a healthy diet. One quarter of children ages 5 to 10 years old have early warning signs for heart disease, such as elevated blood cholesterol or high blood pressure. Type 2 diabetes used to be called adult onset diabetes.

Angel loves fruit!

“Adult onset” has been dropped from type 2 diabetes label, because up to 45 percent of children with newly diagnosed diabetes do NOT have type one, but type 2. Type 2 diabetes is directly connected to the processed sugary foods kids eat and is avoidable. Today, people eat one hundred and fifty pounds of sugar in a year. Yikes, that’s two-and-a-half pounds of sugar each week! Kids consume more sugar than their parents.

We have picky kids because we fill our pantries with highly processed food items and we regularly take toddlers to fast food places. We purchase snack items, lacking nutrients, because we don’t think of snacks as food. Chips, cookies, crackers, and candy take the place of healthful fruit and veggies.

I’ve heard moms say that fruit is too expensive, yet they find the money to purchase junk foods. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the average cost of a serving of fruit or vegetable is 25 cents per serving. I stopped in Safeway today to compare the price of organic fruit (fruit is a cheaper if you don’t purchase organic) to junk foods. Veggies, like carrots, celery and snap peas, would be less expensive than fruit. I didn’t see any savings when purchasing junky snack items.

This is what I found:
One organic banana is about 35 cents.
Two ounces of organic raisins is about 40 cents.
One organic apple from a 3 pound bag is about 55 cents.

A candy bar costs about 80 cents.
A single-serving bag of chips is about 70 cents.
One oatmeal cookie from a box containing a dozen is about 25 cents.
One vanilla ice cream bar from a box of 6 is about 45 cents.

Last year, I researched purchasing whole foods on a food stamp budget. I found that it’s possible on a very limited income to eat whole foods, including fruit and veggies. Obviously, costly processed snacks (chips, cookies, candy) were not included in my budget. Whole foods, like fresh produce, whole grains, and dairy, satisfy hunger and pack a lot of nutrition into a few bites. Each calorie is nutrient-dense with vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients, and essential amino and fatty acids. Whole foods take longer to digest, warding off food cravings between meals.

Your children, even picky eaters, will eat healthy snacks, when all you have in your kitchen are whole foods. Instead of processed snack foods, purchase fruit and veggies. Make hot-air popcorn and smoothie or fruit juice Popsicles. YUMMY! Healthy snack ideas are limitless: Pumpkin or sunflower seeds, edamame, plain yogurt mixed with a mashed banana and topped with granola, apple slices dipped in peanut or almond butter. I could go on, but you get the idea.

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Society has moved from an agricultural culture to suburban living, where food is divorced from its source. Did you ever wonder what animal the meat came from, because it all looks the same in Styrofoam® packaging? Is the only soup your family eats from a can or box?

Gabriella takes a big bite out of a juicy apple.

Today, many vegetables are purchased frozen or canned. Fresh vegetables from the produce department come layered in plastic and everything has a sticker attached. Mom or Dad are the only ones in the family who touch the food before it’s eaten. Bread used to be made with whole grains. Breakfast cereal was made from scratch and was always hot. Candy was a treat, not a daily routine. Milk and eggs came fresh from the dairy.

Most moms will occasionally bake cookies or cupcakes with their children, even though kids don’t need  encouragement to eat sweets. Set aside at least one day a week in which your children will help you prepare a meal. When your children help with dinner, the food is always more interesting. You may even find that you have a budding chef.

Especially for the picky eater, incorporating ways for her to help prepare meals will definitely increase interest in eating veggies and other whole foods. Although it’s time consuming to have a youngster in the kitchen during meal preparation, it’ll most likely be the most rewarding of all the things you integrate into mealtimes. Think of various ways to include you child in the preparation of new (or previously refused) foods.

To encourage your child to become more interested in nutritious foods, let her help you with their purchase and preparation. The grocery store can be a great teaching experience, when your child is involved in the process. Pick out an item from the produce department which she’s never eaten. Then, let her carry it while you’re in the store. Take this opportunity to discuss its attributes (color, texture, scent, etc.). If you have an older picky eater, ask that he read the nutrition label to identify trans fat that may be a hidden ingredient on items. Ask how many grams are in a teaspoon and then have him figure out the number of teaspoons of sugar in a can of pop or a container of fruited yogurt. Older kids can peel potatoes, write a grocery list, use blenders and hand mixers, read recipes and retrieve all the items needs.

A preschooler is capable of helping with meal preparation, although she still requires assistance. Have her retrieve ingredients from the refrigerator and pantry. Have her help measure ingredients for a recipe. Even a preschooler can toss a salad and use a plastic knife to spread butter or jelly. Look for other tasks your cutie can accomplish by herself: mixing in vegetables, combining ingredients, placing the meat and cheese on a sandwich, and setting and clearing the table.

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A S.A.D. Diet
Baby Bites began thirty years ago. I was like most moms, not having a clue as to what was in the food I was purchasing. Our family ate the Standard American Diet, which is S.A.D. My journey to whole foods began when Jenny, my third daughter, was diagnosed as hyperactive. Her pediatrician wanted to write a prescription at her two-year check-up to control her symptoms.Jenny was constantly moving and she had a short attention span. We found ourselves adjusting our routines just to accommodate her.  More worrisome, Jenny had great difficulty falling asleep. Bedtime took hours for her to settle down.
>For the rest of the story.


No More Food Battles
Did you know, my grandson, Joshy, was the inspiration for my book, Baby Bites: Transforming a Picky Eater into a Healthy Eater? He regularly at only a few foods, while refusing to eat most foods. In fact, he wouldn’t even touch foods he’d predetermined to be “yucky.” He was such a picky eater that it had begun to affect his health. Despite Julie-ann and David’s best efforts, food battles were the norm. They tried every parenting trick and were at a loss what to do next. If you have a picky eater, you know firsthand how frustrating it can be to get her to eat one nutritious tidbit.
>There’s More.

Picky Eaters Can Love Veggies
The only vegetables six-year-old Heather eats are French fries and ketchup-and that’s using the term “vegetable” loosely. What’s alarming is that she’s not alone. Today over 60 percent of children, ages two to nine, don’t consume the recommended five servings of fruits and vegetables per day. You might be surprised, but even the most resistant child can learn to love healthy foods.
>There’s More.

One hardboiled egg yields 2 boats.

Begin with 1 hardboiled egg. Have your child help peel it. Talk about the shell, how hard it is and how the shell comes off the egg. How does the white outside of the egg feel? Cut the egg in half lengthwise. The center yolk is a pretty yellow. Remove the yolk together with a spoon and place it in a small bowl.

Then mix in: 1 tablespoon mayonnaise, 1 teaspoon mustard, add a dash of salt and pepper.

Have your child wash a cucumber, discussing how it feels bumpy and the deep green color. Cut two thin round slices of cucumber; then cut the round slices of cucumbers into triangles. You’ll be using the cucumber slices for sails. Remember to reinforce how yummy cucumbers are.

Then cut two thin julienne slices of a carrot. Carrots are orange and make a great mast as they are firm enough to hold up the cucumber sail. Thread the carrot through the cucumber triangles to attach the sail.

With your child, replace yolk mixture in the hardboiled egg center and place a sail in each boat.

Encourage your child like Betty Baby Bites, the little character who loves to give words of support to others in my book, Baby Bites: Transforming a Picky Eater into a Healthy Eater. She often says, “Bravo!”

Fortunately, yummy veggies don’t have to take a lot of time to prepare.

1) You’ll need 8 ounces of fresh or defrosted vegetables and a teaspoon chopped garlic. You can use chopped spinach, peas, cauliflower, or broccoli. If you forgot to defrost your vegetables, place the frozen veggies in a warm pan and turn a few times until it begins to breaks up. Stir until they’re warmed. Pour off any water that collects in the pan.

2) Sauté the vegetable over medium heat for 3 to 5 minutes in 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil, then with a wooden spoon, scoot the veggies to the outside edges of the pan. Add another tablespoon of olive oil in the center of the pan. Place a teaspoon of minced garlic in the olive oil; stir for about 1 minute. (When cooking broccoli and cauliflower, it’s best to steam the veggies for 2 to 3 minutes, then saute in olive oil.)

That smells heavenly!

3) Mix in a ½ teaspoon of salt and pepper and stir everything together. Heat on a slow flame for another minute or two and serve.

Bon appetito!

For info about the free Baby Bites Ezine, Click Here.Listen to today’s podcast, Click Here.For a synopsis of Baby Bites: Transforming a Picky Eater into a Healthy Eater, Click Here.

You might be surprised, even the most resistant child can learn to love healthy foods. Kids discover that veggies are yummy when you engage all their senses. By making a few simple changes in your routine, you can teach your kids to love vegetables.

In a nutshell, fast food and junk food have replaced whole food. Before you even begin, you must stock healthful foods. It’ll be difficult to convince your picky eater to eat nutritious foods, if sugar, white flour, and altered fats are common ingredients found in your kitchen. Read labels and clean out junk foods from your kitchen! Replace processed snack items with nuts, fruit, and veggies slices.

Obviously, your kid’s snacking must be controlled. A child, who has eaten less than an hour and half before a meal, won’t eagerly eat a food predetermined to be “yucky!” And don’t expect your child will love a new food the first time it’s offered.

Do expect your kid to discover all the food’s attributes. Involve all the senses. A common misconception is that a veggie is rejected because of its taste. But according to current research, dislike of various foods most often results from the texture, smell, or even the color of what is to be eaten.

Eating vegetables is a learning process and you’re the teacher so enjoy eating them yourself! Learning involves all the senses. This is called multi-sensory learning. For the picky eater to be transformed into a healthy eater,  it’s vital that you include all the senses during mealtimes. Discuss the attributes of various foods with your child. Pick up and feel its texture. What color is it? What does it smell like? How does it feel in your mouth? Make it fun! Kids love to be a part of the process.

Involve your child with grocery shopping. Have your toddler hold an item from the produce department, while you’re shopping in the store. Discuss the value of the foods you’re purchasing. Give older children a job to do, such as reading the nutrition facts on labels. For example, look for the sugar content on the nutrition label or convert grams to teaspoons before placing items in your cart. Another idea is to have your child to pick one item from the produce department, which he has never tasted. Then get your kids involved in meal preparation.

Make mealtime a happy family time. The table should be a stress-free zone. It’s vital that both dad and mom keep the conversation around the table happy. A good way to transition from a hectic day is to begin the meal by thanking God for what He has done.

Always discuss how wonderful the food smells and tastes, especially vegetables. Take every opportunity during mealtimes to educate your child about healthful foods. Always be positive about the food served.

In every way, reinforce Try Rannosaurus’ favorite exclamation, “Green food is Yummy!” Try is one of the characters I created to incorporate multi-sensory learning for young picky eaters in my book, Baby Bites: Transforming a Picky Eater into a Healthy Eater.

Negative remarks made at the table cement the idea that some food tastes yucky. All family members (including older siblings or even Daddy) may make only affirmative comments about the food. Phrases such as “I don’t like that” “It’s disgusting” and “It’s yucky” are to be forbidden.

Remember to have only nutritious snacks on hand, limit snacking to at least an hour and a half before meals, and to praise your child for eating whole foods. Be patient. Give your youngster time to learn about the food’s texture and how it smells. Food, which your child has previously refused, most likely will be sampled between ten and twenty times before acceptance. Tiny bites of formerly rejected foods are steps in the direction of healthy eating.

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