Getting your kids to eat healthy food…without tricking them!

The best time to get your children to try new foods is when they are hungry. Let’s face it, everything tastes better when you are hungry. If you want them to try a nutritious snack food that you think they may not like, give it to them right after school. My kids are starving when they get off the bus and will pretty much eat anything I put in front of them.

Don’t make a big deal out of new food items or recipes. If you are substituting something healthier in a familiar recipe, don’t mention it unless it is obvious. Serve the dish to your family just like you always do. I have a friend who switched her cheesy mashed potatoes for a cheesy cauliflower dish and her family never knew the difference.

Mix the nutritious snack with something they like. If you are trying to get your children to eat more raw veggies, give them a dip, like ranch or chip dip, to go along with them. If it is fruit you are trying to get them to eat, make a fruit dip. You can also put caramel sauce on apples and bananas. Even though the dips and sauces may not be all that nutritious, to me it is a worthwhile sacrifice to get then to eat the fruits and vegetables. Remember to make it interesting, make it fun, and make it colorful.

Try setting a good example for your children by eating healthier snacks yourself. At my house, my kids eat whatever I am trying to eat. If I get apples and peanut butter they come out of the woodwork and eat it all for me. If they see you eating a healthy snack, they will be more likely to eat a healthy snack, too.

Don’t go cold turkey on the junk food unless you want a mutiny on your hands. It is best to gradually convert your family’s nutritional standards to healthier eating habits than to do it all in one day. Let your family get used to each change before you move on to the next one.

Make trying new food or recipes a family fun night. Let everyone pick something they want to try or make and then prepare dinner as a family. Make it a contest. You can even have a prize for the most creative nutritional dish. Or everyone can vote on which dish they want you to make again.

Both my sons eat things I won’t eat, like broccoli. I would make it for them to try and not mention how gross I thought it was. I let them make up their own minds about whether or not they like certain foods. In other words, if you tell them something isn’t good, they may never try it.

The biggest thing to remember when trying to improve the nutrition of your family is to never give up. Keep trying new combinations and recipes. Eventually you will find something your family loves.