Get Your Kids in the Kitchen and Empower Them to Eat Real Food

Do you spend time with your kids in the kitchen or is that an off-limits area? Is it a struggle to get kids to eat even a bite of the main meal you're serving because they'd rather have "kid-friendly" food? Maybe you want them to eat real food but you aren't sure how to get them to cooperate? Don't despair. First, if your child is fond of kids' meals and not so eager to eat veggies, you're not alone. You might not have noticed, but our culture is likely working against your nutritional efforts at home! "Children tend to rise to the culinary bar we set for them, and children’s menus in America set the bar very low indeed." Michele Humes Parents who eat healthy foods and avoid fast food have kids who do the same. If you want a child who enjoys healthy eating, eat healthy food.  What if you came to the game a little late? Well, there's always room for improvement. I'm here to prove it. Let me use my experience with my six kids as proof.  How I got my kids to eat anything I put in front of them My first child came along before I studied nutrition. She had regular trips to get happy meals. Her Nana let her have ice cream and chicken nuggets for breakfast because "that was all she would eat." As my family continued to grow and I gained knowledge of the benefits of eating a whole food diet my standards for the dinner table shifted. When I became aware of the risks of eating junk food and fast food, I stopped eating it and so did my kids. By this time, I had four children. They'd been introduced to salad with much cajoling, bribery, and tears. While the start was rocky, they eventually grew to love vegetables and regularly eat a wide variety with no bribes.  My last two children were born well after I stopped going to fast food and started eating salads and drinking green smoothies. They'll eat anything healthy, literally anything. I've never had either of them put up a fuss.  As a matter of fact, their palates are more mature than many adults I've met. Not only are they willing to eat asparagus, artichoke, collard wraps, whole grains, and fish that's not breaded, they ask for it. They've eaten sushi, sashimi, veggie burgers, guacamole, hummus, and more. When we go out to eat, they order off the regular menu because they enjoy food and they want to try it all. They regularly eat healthy meals because that's what they like.  By the time I was training their palates, I was no longer sold on "kid-friendly" foods. Now that they are both teenagers, they are fit, healthy, and will eat anything I put on the table. Get Free Knife Skills Class Anyone can teach their child to make better food choices My friend Samantha has five young children who eat "like adults" because she's a foodie and has never catered to the mistaken belief that kids will only enjoy kids' meals.  I hear you, though, you might be part way through your parenting journey and your children are already sold on kids' meals. You may currently be a short-order cook, preparing one meal for yourself and a another for your kids. I get it, I've been there. That's why I am so happy to introduce you to Katie Kimball. She has been teaching kids to cook for years, including her own children who cook meals for her family.  Cooking skills benefit a child for the rest of their life. First, eating healthily can help them avoid childhood obesity. In addition, it establishes the habits of a healthy lifestyle. One of the things Katie recommends in the podcast (are you listening to it now?) is exposure buckets. She explains that each exposure to a particular food counts as a step toward your child eating (and enjoying) that food. Using the example of a carrot, the first exposure is at the grocery store, second is in the kitchen while preparing dinner. Kids who cook at home are more likely to eat veggies than their counterparts who don't spend time in the kitchen.  (by the way,