I am often asked this question. How can I get my kids to eat more healthy foods? The answer to this question is complex and most parents want an instant fix. There is no substitute for modelling. If the parents eat healthy home made food so will the kids. If you have been making separate meals for your children (every day) then it’s really ‘you’ who needs to be re-trained. I’m not talking about forcing your kids to eat things that they dislike, everyone has likes and dislikes. I mean creating a balance of healthy foods and understanding your child’s reactions towards foods.

My son’s eating habits revolve with his moods (sound familiar). Some days he wants nothing but macaroni and cheese, grilled cheese and treats from his Halloween bin. Other days my son will eat anything that we shovel onto his plate: steak, broccoli, chicken dijonnaise, beef strips in goat cheese and sun dried tomato cream sauce, you name it. I don’t micro manage his food intake. I stand back and take a look at the whole week and I know that since almost everything he eats is homemade that he will be healthy.

You need to look at your own plate first and make sure that you are modelling the food behaviours that you want your child to have and respect your child’s feelings towards food. The whole concept of hiding vegetables in your child’s sauce and muffins will make you feel better but it won’t improve your child’s eating habits.

Yesterday my son had a friend over. We made our own pizzas. I use little pizza pans from the restaurant supply store (about $6 ea). I have never had a child not want to eat a pizza that 1) they made themselves 2) had portion control built in.

Yes many clients have said that because of my food their kids eat better but the truth is…….because the parents are also eating my food, the kids eat better. It’s not really the food (well maybe a little bit) it’s sitting down together and eating the same thing. It’s a great thing to sit together with your kids at the dinner table.