7 more tips and tricks for getting the kids on board

Happy belated Mother’s Day to all my fellow Crazy Health Mommas out there!  

In my last post I shared 6 of my tips for getting the kids on board with healthy eating, and today I’m excited to share 7 more!

1. Feed their minds.  Really, this is important for humans of all ages - the more we stay connected to media and resources that reinforce healthy lifestyle choices, the more likely we are to make those good choices in real life.  Whether it be by listening to health related podcasts, watching healthy lifestyle documentaries or YouTube videos, reading nutrition books together, etc., doing these types of things with your kids can help get everyone on the same page.  You really don’t need to agree 100% with what the documentary/article/podcast is saying either - the point is to use these tools to help  foster some great conversations between you and your kids that lead to positive changes as a family.  

2. Connect with nature.  Speaking as an urban mom, this is not always so simple.  I have to be really purposeful about getting my kid out into fresh air and wide open sky since for us it’s not just as easy as stepping into the backyard (we don’t have one).  So I prioritize it and make it happen and it pays off every single time.  I can’t really explain it, but when we do step into nature, even if it’s just an hour or two in the refuge of Rock Creek Park down the street, we come out of it reinvigorated, rejuvenated, and re-motivated to keep on taking care of ourselves.  

3. Go to the source.  Take a family field trip to a farm!  It’s wild how there are so many kids (and many adults too!) who really have no tangible understanding of where their food comes from.  When they can see a plant sprouting out of the ground and hold soil and seeds in their own little hands it brings a new respect and appreciation for food.  My daughter and I frequently visit a one acre urban farm near our home.  Every time we are there my daughter happily samples a variety of things plucked right from the earth - even things she would be hesitant about trying if they just showed up on the dinner table without any prior introduction.  One day we picked a bunch or fresh basil on the farm, walked home, and immediately made a pesto sauce with it - you can’t get anymore fresh than that, and as we ate it we both savored that pesto even more than usual out of appreciation of knowing exactly where it came from.

4. Don’t keep junk food in the house.  Here is another tip that works for kids as well as adults.  If we don’t have any junk in the house then we can’t be tempted by it.  Especially if our kids are getting junk when outside of the house, it’s all the more important for them to only have access to nourishing foods when at home.  If your pantry is presently full of Oreos and Doritos it may require a transition process to healthier snacks (kids get truly addicted to these things just like adults so expect great resistance to purging them).  Once the junk is gone and their palates have time to adjust to being able to notice things like the natural sweetness of an apple, or the satisfying crunch of roasted nuts, they will be happier and healthier campers.

5. Try try again!  Don’t give up.  Just because your kid has refused to take a bite of the roasted broccoli you have set before them 29 times before doesn’t mean they won’t suddenly shock you by eating it on try #30.  My favorite personal example of this is how, over the course of several years I made a super healthy, veggie-filled vegan lasagna recipe over and over again and my daughter would consistently refuse it, then suddenly one night she casually gobbled it down and then went and got seconds.  I had to play it cool as if this was all perfectly normal but inside was totally freaking out with joy!  So don’t give up, just keep making those healthy recipes and SOMEDAY it will pay off. 

6. Set an example.  Like it or not, for good or for bad, kids look to parents for conscious and subconscious information on how to think and act, what to believe, and even what foods they should eat.  It is vital that we do the hard work to make the changes needed to be healthy and live a life full of demonstrated healthy choices.  It’s ok to let them know that this type of life is not always easy, and can be downright hard sometimes, but stick with it so that you can show them that it is so worth it.  

7. Moderation in moderation. Life is short, it’s okay to treat ourselves and our kids sometimes.  This goes back to not keeping junk in the house - if the kids aren’t constantly eating junk, then an occasional treat is not going to do much harm, and is just that, a real TREAT!  In my family we stay mindful even with treats and try to choose higher quality ingredients whenever possible (i.e. organic cookies, lower sugar goodies, etc.), but there are times when I am happy to let my daughter “let loose” (delivery pizza with friends, a nutritionally void meal while on vacation or at a special event, going to our local ice cream shop with her dad for a dad/daughter date).  I don’t worry about these moments because I know she has already learned that they are best when they are kept RARE moments.

So there you have it - hopefully some of these tips were inspiring for you.  If you have some great ideas to add I’d love to hear from you!