Why is it when you mention the word “healthy” to a child they cringe and make faces? Seriously, is “healthy” a “bad” word? I wouldn’t think so but for many children it sure is. In fact even some adults are not happy to hear the “H” word (healthy).
Why is that? Do children assume that healthy foods taste bad?
This is a typical conversation I have, most especially with my daughter, on a weekly basis.
Daughter: Mom, what’s for dinner tonight?
Me: Chicken.
Daughter: What kind of chicken?
Me: The kind you eat (I’m always trying to inject a little humor).
Daughter: No, seriously, what kind of chicken?
Me: Grilled chicken.
Daughter: Can I have something else?
Me: No. This is not a restaurant. I’m making chicken.
Daughter: Can I have chicken nuggets instead?
Me: No.
Daughter: But WHY? (in a very whiny, “Drama Queen” tone of voice).
Me: Because grilled chicken is a lot HEALTHIER for you then processed chicken nuggets.
There… I said it. I said the dreaded “H” word…HEALTHY (in this case “healthier”, same thing).
My kids are old enough to know what is healthy and what is not healthy but they still cringe and sometimes even put up a fight if I encourage them to make healthier choices.
I have control over the kids when they are home but when they are at school it’s a whole other world. Frankly I’m shocked and appalled by what some kinds have for lunch when they are at school. You can tell which kids are left to make their own lunches. I’m sorry but a donut and a bag of chips is NOT lunch! Those parents should be ashamed of themselves letting their kids take that as lunch, following it by downing a bottle of soda. It’s situations like this that make it hard for your children to eat healthy at school. Whey would a child want to have chickpeas or drink water when their friends and classmates are inhaling chips and soda?
How do YOU ensure that your kids are eating healthy while they are at school? I’d love to hear from my readers.
As for me I make sure to pack a healthy lunch for my kids but I always include some “goodies” so they don’t feel like they are missing out on anything.
This is an example of a lunch I would pack my kids.
– Honey Maple Turkey on Rye Bread
– Water (reusable water bottle)
– Baby carrots
– A banana
– 100 calorie bag of chips (potato chips, Doritos, Frito Lay…)
– 3 Chips Ahoy Cookies (or I might give them Jell-O or pudding if I have some made)
My kids know the “Lunch Rules”. They have to eat their sandwich first and foremost, then their fruits and veggies. If they are still hungry they can eat the “junk” food or else save it for snack time or later on when they get home from school. This way I know my kids are getting their protein, water, fruits and veggies but at the same time giving them the 100 calorie chips and a couple of cookies or something sweet helps to satisfy their sweet and/or salty cravings.
Some of the healthy snacks my kids love to have include…
– Grapes
– Cut up Apple Slices
– Hard boiled eggs
– Chickpeas
– Baby Carrots
– Cucumber slices
– Green pepper slices
– Unsweetened apple sauce
– Jell-O
– Pudding
– Yogurt
What are some of your kid’s favorite healthy snacks? I’d love to hear from my readers. I love getting new ideas to try with my own kids.
Warner Brothers Looney Tunes products are great for lunch time and snack time too.
I am a member of Team Mom and we were sent a fun Warner Brothers Looney Tunes lunch sack with some yummy (well, I’m assuming so since my kids gobbled them up) products which are found at Safeway. The lunch tote included…
– A fruit cup (perfect for getting your kids to eat fruit)
– A granola bar which honestly I never saw what it was because my daughter inhaled it. LOL
– 10 ounce bottle of 100% apple juice. This contained 100% of the daily required Vitamin C as well as 10% of the daily required calcium. It also had no fat, no cholesterol and only 35 grams of sodium. It was 150 calories and had no added sugar at all. I actually got to try some of this before my son drank it (I LOVE apple juice). It was really good. It tasted very fresh and had no funky after taste.
– Whole Wheat Macaroni & Beef in Tomato Sauce meal cup. This was pretty interesting. It was a generously sized microwaveable meal in a “cup” for kids. It’s part of the Eating Right Kids product line (Sylvester is on the can). It was easy enough to make, just microwave, stir and enjoy.
The cup did say it was two servings. My son ate it all in one sitting. It’s a good size for a ‘tween. The only thing is you have to double the fat and calories. If your child ate the whole meal it would be 6 grams of fat, 320 calories, 8 grams of fiber (nice!) and a whopping 12 grams of protein. I LOVE the fiber and protein, I was just not happy with the sodium. I would think they could have made this product with less salt. If your child eats the whole meal it’s 920 grams of sodium, or almost 40% of the daily recommended amount. I liked everything else about the meal, just that not the sodium.
As you can see the “H” word is sometimes seen as a “bad word” to kids. For parents having our children eat healthy is essential for their health and well being so finding things that your children enjoy that are healthy for them is important.
Don’t forget, Momlogic’s nutrition expert, Haylie Pomroy is answering questions about nutrition. Send her your questions to eatingright@wb.com. She will post answers starting this week. Also you can visit www.momlogic.com/eating_right_kids to learn more about ways to get your kids to eat healthy.
*I received a few product samples from Team Mom free to do this review. There was no other compensation. I am compensated for talking about the Eating Right Kids program from Warner Brothers. The opinions expressed are my own.