Before my small people were born, I had some pretty big ideas about what I was definitely going to do and definitely not going to do as a parent. Remarkable how that list adjusts when you actually ARE a parent, isn’t it?
Suddenly bedtimes are a reward-worthy finish line at the end of your day and you find yourself teaching your three year old to say, “Mommy is not a short-order cook’ as much for your own sanity as the desire to stick to at least ONE of those rules you created in your head pre-kids.
We thought it would be easy to put them to sleep in their own beds, to keep our homes clean, to feed them balanced (and regular) meals, and we envisioned children who would prefer carrots over chocolate simply because it is what we offered them AND it is better for them.
I know.
It isn’t quite that easy. BUT, in that beautiful way that parenting can surprise us, it can be easier (and more fun) than you think. I’m excited to be working with Libby’s to not only create recipes you will enjoy, but to make fruits and vegetables a regular part of your family’s diet.
I will be honest, I have a few friends with children who DO reach for carrots, cut peppers, cucumbers and will even order salads. Voluntarily.
I cannot say this loudly enough: I DO NOT HAVE THOSE CHILDREN. Left to their own devices, mine would subsist solely on chocolate and ice cream.
As you will see in the video, getting them involved in the process and creating new recipes is key.
A few additional secrets to keep in mind:
- Don’t make fruit or vegetables the enemy by demanding your kids finish every last morsel on their plate before they are allowed to leave the table.
- Give them options: choose three vegetables you are considering for dinner and let them choose one. (They may not love any of the options, but knowing they have SOME say is empowering).
- Recognize that some kids struggle with texture more than flavor. For a young child, the ‘crunch’ of a raw carrot may be too much, but an option like Libby’s Vegetable Cup Diced Carrots might be palatable enough to win them over.
- When you are on vacation or on the road (baseball and soccer games come to mind) don’t skip out on the healthy options. Seek out opportunities to keep fruits and vegetables in your diet. Libby’s Fruit Cups are portable and as you saw in the video, are perfectly proportioned for toddlers and children.
- Consider adding some additional ‘healthy’ to dessert. While we often head down the cookies-chocolate-ice cream route for dessert, we can just as easily add fruit to our favorite choice – ice cream, pie or cake for a little spin on a favorite treat. Naturally, the Libby’s Fruit Cups are perfect for this as well.
I so hope you enjoyed both the video and the tips and would LOVE to know if you have any additional secrets to getting fruits and vegetables in to your kid’s diets. Please share away.
I certainly know I’d love to continue expanding Cooper and Delaney’s palate.
Disclosure: I am happy to be working with Libby’s on a series of videos dedicated to including fruits and vegetables in our daily lives. As always, all thoughts and opinions shared on this site are mine and mine alone.
Leave a Reply