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Kerrie LaRosaParent Coach

Come on, just one more bite......

5/2/2013

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Parents want their children to eat and eat well (of course!). So, many parents will go to great lengths to get their children to eat. I have heard some creative ways parent have gotten their child to eat: playing games, giving time outs for not eating spinach and hiding chicken in yogurt (hmmm tasty, huh?), in addition to the standard, "just one more bite", "you can't get up from the table until you finish everything on your plate" and "eat your broccoli and then you can have dessert".

Unfortunately, these meet some short term goals of getting children to eat, but it does not meet the long term goal of helping children develop a healthy relationship with food and developing healthy eating habits.

Here are some techniques for teaching healthy eating:

1. Include your child in the process:
 - grow vegetables in your garden
 - take your child grocery shopping
 - recruit your child to help cook and bake
 - encourage your child to help set the table and serve the food 

2. Make mealtimes enjoyable
 - give your child ample time to transition from play to mealtime
 - start the meal with a toast or a prayer
 - use the opportunity when you are sitting down to talk about the    
day or tell stories
 - try and sit down as a family as often as possible
 
3. Serve the meal family-style
 - place the bowls on the table, family style and let your child serve herself what she wants and how much
- include something at the table that you know your child will eat

4. Let your child take it from there
 - avoid games,  cajoling, and convincing your child to eat
- let your child choose what and how much to eat (as long as it is what is being served)
- don't cook special, separate meals
- model healthy eating. Eat what you want your child to eat and only keep things at home that you want your child to eat.

Happy and Healthy Eating!

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Deceptively Delicious or Just Deceptive?

4/26/2013

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Ok, so I own the book Deceptively Delicious by Jessica Seinfeld and I've tried several of the recipes and they are delicious. But, the question is, does the short term goal of getting children to eat their veggies outweigh the long term goal of developing a healthy attitude toward food? And, will those deceived children remain picky eaters into adulthood because they have not been given the opportunity to try a variety of foods?

The very popular cookbooks for parents of picky eaters The Sneaky Chef by Missy Chase Lapine and Deceptively Delicious by Jessica Seinfeld aim to give children a well-balanced diet by hiding their fruits and vegetables in their favorite meals (think macaroni and cheese with beans and cauliflower or oatmeal cookies with zucchini and banana).

The benefit of this is that children will likely eat more fruits and vegetables without complaints, hassles and mealtime battles. The drawback is that the child does not learn to try or like a variety of foods and therefore when making choices on his own (and out in the real world where most food is not home-cooked with hidden vitamins and nutrients) the older child or adult may not make good decisions about food.

In general, deceiving children rarely works out, but as a parent of a picky eater, I straddle the fence on this one. I want my child to develop the taste for a healthy variety of foods, but I also want to know that he is getting the right nutrients for his growing body and mind. 

Tell me what you think, deceptively delicious or just deceptive?

And, stay tuned for the next blog where I will give specific techniques on encouraging healthy eating.

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Eat Your Veggies!!

4/4/2013

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Picky eating is a common concern among parents of toddlers and sometimes older children. Parents worry that their children are not eating enough or getting the proper nutrition for optimal development, sleep and behavior. 

Parents also can become frustrated that their child refuses to eat food they have spent time preparing or wastes food.

In acts of desperation parents often resort to catering to their picky eater, preparing them special meals, sometimes multiple meals at one sitting.

Mealtimes can become a battle, a place of anxiety, and frustration.
This can often worsen the problem making the picky eater more resistant to new foods.

If you struggle with a picky eater, stay tuned. This month I will be writing about picky eating and will help you to learn more about:

1. Why kids are picky eaters.


2. The benefits and disadvantages of becoming the sneaky chef (tricking your child into eating veggies hidden in his favorite foods) hiding veggies in your child's food)

3. Techniques for encouraging your child to develop healthy eating habits

4. Teaching your child table manners: what is age appropriate.

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    Kerrie LaRosa is a parent coach and a mother of two children. She draws on her professional expertise and personal experience to provide tired parents with some quick tips, resources and fun anecdotes.

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