I post my kids’ lunches on Facebook and always get the question……………”Do your kids really eat that stuff?” I also get comments……..”My kids would never eat that.” I am certainly not saying that all kids are the same. In fact, I am saying that at my house, my 4 kids are all different.. I do encourage you to allow your children to try new foods………..they certainly may surprise you. I know mine have. I also encourage you to not let your food phobias get in the way of what you feed your children. Just because you don’t like it, doesn’t mean they won’t like it. Real Food is simple food and it is really perfect for picky children. If they will only eat one or two things, don’t you want those foods to be healthy?
I am starting this series to introduce you to my kids in hopes that you will see that they are “Real” children who were raised with junk food and fast food and who had to make the change to Real Food. They all had to detox their systems and give up some of their favorite foods. They also deal with peer pressure on a daily basis about their Real Food diet.
The first child I would like to introduce is my one and only daughter, Lil M. She just finished second grade and is 8 years old. She keeps me hopping by being involved in lots of activities. She takes dance class once a week. She is a Brownie Girl Scout and loves to go camping. She plays softball in the summer and cheers in the fall. She is also going to take a gymnastics class starting this fall. Whew! I’m tired…….and that’s just one of them.
I interviewed Lil M last night at dinner. Here are her honest answers.
Q: What do you like the most about switching to Real Food?
A: I’m getting healthier and I think I lost a few pounds. (I told you…… honest answers. I was surprised to find out that at 8 years old, she even thought about weight.)
Q: What do you like the least about switching to Real Food?
A: I miss mac and and cheese and ice cream. (I then reminded her she still eats these things and then she couldn’t think of anything else she misses.)
Q: Favorite Fruit?
A: Strawberries ( I could have picked that one.)
Q: Favorite Vegetable?
A: Celery (What? I better buy celery more often, I though she would say cucumbers.)
Q: Favorite dinner that I make?
A: Whole wheat pasta……………… and tacos!
Q: Least favorite dinner that I make?
A: “Chicken in a hurry.” (I don’t know why they don’t like this. It’s a crock pot recipe for barbecued chicken legs in the crock pot. I don’t like chicken legs and love this recipe. None of the kids like it. Very strange.)
Q: What do you like about going to the farmers’ market?
A: I get to buy healthy cookies. (Amish made without any icky ingredients) I also like to pick out my food and see the people.
Q: What is your favorite beverage to drink when you are really thirsty?
A: Milk
Q: Is there anything else you want to tell the Juggling readers about eating a Real Food diet?
A: I love the food!
I hope you have enjoyed Part 1 of Honest Answers From Kids. I really think it’s important to talk about food with our kids. As parents, it is not only our responsibility to feed our children, but also to teach our children to make healthy food decisions for themselves. They have their moments of weakness, but don’t we all? What do you do to teach your children about food? It is never to late to start the change to Real Food or the education about food. What kinds of things are you teaching your kids about food. What are the messages you would like to be sending?
Thank you for all of the love and support. Don’t forget you can join us on Facebook for more fun and support along the way. You can also follow us on Twitter @Jugglngrealfood if you are interested in learning more about the Real Food Movement. You can also follow our boards on Pinterest.
I absolutely LOVE this! My kids now refer to my kitchen as "mommy's restaurant"! They like to help me find new recipes online and are so excited to try them. I haven't found many veggies yet that they won't eat. 1 kids may not like carrots, another peas..but this doesn't change the fact that they are now eating 200% more types of veggies than before and that they LOVE thew new varieties of foods I am making. We eat out at earthfare once a week…they have kids eat free night on thursday – so its a great way to keep them on track but still "normal" whatever that is!!! Glad to hear your kiddos are still eating real and happy about it!
I would like to be invited to "Mommy's Restaurant". I love how you include your kids in picking recipes. That is a life skill that I don't think a lot of kids are being taught these days. You not only eat healty, but you are teaching your kids how to eat healthy for a lifetime.
It is so true, often kids will surprise you so it is always a good idea not to make assumptions. I have one picky eater, and even though most of the time I can predict what he will and will not like, sometimes he completely surprises me, so I have learned to encourage him to try everything!
I love those happy surprises. My youngest is extremely picky, but everything he eats is healthy. I just keep my fingers crossed that he will "mature" into a greater diversity of food. Sounds like you are doing a great job with your picky one.
Wow! Do you really get those types of comments on facebook. There are many times when I am not sure that my kids will eat it. They usually suprise me. We have found many recipes that I wasn't sure about at first and they have become our favorites. One trick is to introduce a new food along with something that you know they do like. If you introduce a whole meal of new foods it can be so overwhelming. Try new foods a bit at a time and be surprised.
The most surprising was when my son who hates green beans asked if we could grow them in the garden this year. He says to me "I like them when they are raw fresh from the garden, but cooked ones are yuck". He likes a tomato cooked, but raw he won't touch them. My daugher likes cooked onions yet hates them when raw in a salad or such. Sometimes it is not the vegetable or fruit but the way it is prepared. I personally hate canned peas and asparagus, but fresh or frozen I will eat them anyday.
I think an important part of figuring this all out is to talk with the family about it. asking the questions and finding out if it is really the food itself or the way it is prepared. There are some spices and some cooking methods that the family does not like. We love blasted broccoli and cauliflower, but eating it raw with a dip like so many people do, it does not go very well "It tastes like grass" expecially when served with hummus. This is one dip that so many people love and we do not care for it at our house.
My advice is TRY IT, YOU MAY LIKE IT. If your family does not like it talk about why you did not like it. You may be surprised that there is a little something that can be changed like eliminating something or changing up the spices slightly and all of a sudden it goes from yuck to yummy.