Attracting your child to healthy food

Most parents recognize the importance of feeding their children healthy foods, but they feel trapped by kids' picky eating habits, time constraints, and advertisers who entice their kids to demand candy, cookies, and other unhealthy choices. But parents can take some very simple steps to educate their child about better nutrition. Much of what we want for our children-healthy bodies with less illness, ability to concentrate, better study skills, adept physical ability-can be accomplished with a wholesome diet.

The first step is to remind ourselves that we are role models. If we are eating vital, wholesome foods such as whole grains, beans, fresh vegetables, and fruit, our children will be more likely to do so, too. Sometimes this requires parents to present a united front. If one parent offers celery stalks for snacks and the other scoots out to the ice cream store, the children get mixed messages and will lean toward the more stimulating food.

Parents not only need to be in sync, they have to be willing to set boundaries around food and eating habits. Just as you would not let a five-year-old choose when to go to bed, it is inappropriate to expect a young child to make a nutritious decision about what to eat for lunch. Happy-looking packaging, entertaining advertisements, and artificially colored ingredients in commercial foods affect children. They do not have the knowledge or wisdom to overcome marketing ploys and make healthful choices. Parents need to make the decisions or offer simple, limited choices like offering an apple or an orange.

Assuming you want your child to eat well, what more can you do to pave the path toward good eating habits?

Studies show that children who sit down to regular, shared family meals have more emotional stability, do better in school, and eat a wider variety of foods. With busy schedules you may not be able to get everyone together more than once a day, or even twice a week. Whatever you can manage, find times that work and keep them sacred.

If you don't want your child to eat something, don't buy it. Keep the cupboards and fridge stocked with things you can feel good about your child eating.

Make only one meal for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Don't fall into being a short-order cook. If every dish of the meal you've prepared is rejected, allow the child to be excused from the table until the next meal. This may sound like tough love but if you keep this one simple rule you can avoid many parent-child battles.

Most kids like foods like fresh fruit, applesauce, bread and butter, or potatoes. Whatever you choose for the meal, try to make sure there is something on the table that your child will like, even if it is just a side dish.

Parents are prone to make desserts and sweets a reward if the child has been good or cooperative. Messages like this can eventually lead to eating disorders. If you must bribe, reward, or punish then use something other than food to encourage your child to do what you want.

Let's say you have a child who loves macaroni and cheese and will only eat macaroni and cheese. Don't deny total access, just set up when and how often you think it's healthy and reasonable to have it. Make it clear that we have macaroni and cheese on Friday nights. After a while, the standard will be set and the pleading will stop.

Some kids don't like their food mixed-up or touching. They might try a sauce if it was on the side rather than smothering the dish. Salad might get an "ugh" but some cut up carrots, cucumbers, and radishes will get eaten. Pay attention to how foods are put on the plate. Usually, the simpler the better.

Most picky-eater problems are really about parents not wanting to set up any boundaries about food. As parents we find it difficult to let our children experience disappointment. Yet we know that learning how to face obstacles and adapt is how we learn to be resourceful. This simple truth applies to food. Be willing to set limits. Let your child face the disappointment of not eating ice cream when he is coming down with a cold, or not going to a fast-food restaurant two nights in a row. Not only will they survive, but they'll also grow stronger.

There are many ways to enhance your children's love of good food, starting when they are very young. Serve babies freshly cooked vegetables and fruits that have been run through a blender rather than jarred baby food that is old, processed, and full of fillers. Start a garden in your yard or on your porch and let young children see how food grows. They will love foraging for snacks. Encourage your children to help you in the kitchen. Make them feel needed, useful, and creative by involving them with meal preparation. Children will mirror your relationship with food. Let them see you shop, prepare, and enjoy eating fabulous whole foods.

Vegfest, a healthy vegetarian food festival produced by the non-profit Vegetarians of Washington (Seattle Center Fisher Pavilion, March 12-13) is the perfect opportunity to encourage your kids to taste a wide variety of healthy foods, to discover which ones they like the best. Now in its fourth year, Vegfest offers an opportunity to try hundreds of different healthy foods for free. There's even a special KidPicks program, sponsored by PCC Natural Markets, where your child can give points on the foods they taste. Come listen to presentations by doctors and dietitians on the latest nutrition news and see cooking demonstrations by cookbook authors and renowned local chefs. Many of them will be signing their cookbooks in the world's largest vegetarian bookstore for two days. At only $5 admission for adults-kids 12 and under are free-this festival is a great opportunity to help your family to eat more healthy foods. For more information, visit Vegfest or call 206-706-2635.