How do you get KIDS to eat better?..and maybe...

Maybe...I can use the ideas to get KIDS to eat better



....on meeeself?!!

The following are a few ideas I found from some Internet research...
 for enticing children to eat better.
Maybe some of the ideas could work to help even
"grown-ups" to eat better???

1. Make a schedule. Children need to eat every three to four hours: three meals, two snacks, and lots of fluids. If you plan for these, your child's diet will be much more balanced and he'll be less cranky, because he won't be famished. Maybe even putting a cooler in the car? ... and keep it stocked with carrots, pretzels, yogurt...so as not to rely on fast food.
2. Plan dinners. If thinking about a weekly menu is too daunting, start with two or three days at a time. A good dinner doesn't have to be fancy, but it should be balanced: whole-grain bread, rice, or pasta; a fruit or a vegetable; and a protein source like lean meat, cheese, or beans. Maybe, make simple entree soups or Mexican chili ahead of time and then freeze it; at dinnertime, heat it up adding whole-grain bread and a bowl of cut-up apples or melon to round out the meal.
3. Don't become a short-order cook. Making two suppers -- one that the kids would like and one for the adults, could be a bad idea.  Lots of work and not really a benefit for the kids in the long run.  Better  - is to prepare one meal for everybody and serve it family-style so the kids can pick and choose what they want. Children often mimic their parents' behavior, eventually the kids will start to like (at least some) of the food prepared.
4. Introduce new foods slowly. Children are new-food-phobic by nature. Mention to kids that their taste buds sometimes have to get used to a flavor before they'll like the taste. A little hero worship can work wonders too.  Hey..."Tommy" might be more likely to try foods if told... that Michael Jordan eats his peas to stay big and strong.
5. Dip it. If your kids won't eat vegetables, experiment with dips. When I first tried raw vegetables, it was with a bit of ranch salad dressing. Other great dips could be... hummus, salsa, and yogurt-based dressings.
6. Make mornings count. Most families don't eat enough fiber on a daily basis, and breakfast is an easy place to sneak it in. Save time by making up batches of whole-grain pancake and waffle batter that last all week. For a batch that serves five, sift together 2 cups whole-wheat pastry flour, 4 tsp. baking powder, 1/2 tsp. salt, and 2 Tbs. sugar. When you're ready to cook, mix in 2 Tbs. ground flax meal, 2 cups water, 3 Tbs. canola oil, 1/4 tsp. vanilla, and 2 Tbs. applesauce.
7. Sneak in soy. Even if your kids don't have milk allergies, soy milk is a terrific source of healthy phytochemicals. Kids might not like soy milk but don't notice when it's hidden in a recipe. You can use the low-fat, calcium-fortified kind in some recipes that call for milk, such as oatmeal, mashed potatoes, and sauces.
8. Sprinkle some sugar. Kids might be more likely to eat cooked carrots with a bit of brown sugar.  If its getting them to eat healthy fruits and veggies instead of cookies and junk food, at least the sugar is not for useless calories.  You can ease off on the sugar as time goes on.
9. Get kids cooking. If your children become involved in choosing or preparing meals, they'll be more interested in eating what they've created. Take them to the store, and let them choose produce for you. If they're old enough, allow them to cut up vegetables and mix them into a salad.  They might even have some fun ideas for additional ingredients to make the food more to their liking. 
10. Cut back on junk. Remember, you -- not your kids -- are in charge of the foods that enter the house. By having fewer junk foods around, you'll force your children to eat more fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and dairy products.
11. Allow treats. Never allowing junk food makes them "forbidden" -- and thus even more appealing.  As long as kids are eating healthy foods and getting the proper vitamins, an occasional treat or going out to fast food "once in a while"...will not make them unhealthy.  They can learn to understand the proportions of "bad" foods to good ones.
12. Have fun. The more creative the meal is, the greater the variety of foods kids will eat. Make smiley-face pancakes and give foods silly names. (Broccoli florets are "baby trees" or "dinosaur food.") Anything mini is always a hit too. Using cookie cutters to turn toast into hearts and stars, could make all wheat bread look much more appetizing.
13. It's important. To realize that what your kids eat over time is what matters. Having popcorn at the movies or eating an ice-cream sundae are some of life's real pleasures. As long as you balance these times with smart food choices and physical activity, your children will be fine.

What are some of YOUR ideas for
 getting kids to eat good foods? 
If you don't have small
children around the house anymore, what DID YOU do
when they were little? 
Do YOU use any little tricks to get yourself to eat
healthier...even if YOU are a "grown-up"?

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Chip Chicken Lollipops

(a fun kids recipe)

Ingredients

• 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cut into 1/2 inch cubes
• 1 egg
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 2 cups crushed potato chips
• lollipop sticks from a craft or party store

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a baking sheet.
2. Crush potato chips onto a plate. In a large bowl, whisk together egg and milk. Dip the chicken cubes into the egg mixture, then coat well with potato chips. Spread the nuggets onto the baking sheet.
3. Bake for 10 minutes. Turn nuggets over, and bake for 10 minutes more, until golden brown. Remove baking sheet from oven, and insert a lollipop stick into each nugget.               

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Ruby's Report

Treadmill - 6 days/4.0 incline...3 days over 2 miles...2 days @ 3 miles

Food - I didn't do as much fiber as the goal was from last week

           I 've purchased more fruits and veggies to start the new week.

Weight(loss?) - yes...a teensy.... down .2 lbs

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(photo credit...wired.com)

"I know...I coulda dun budder this week"  I'm gonna keep in mind,

that next week is a NEW week to work towards my goals.

How did you do?  Don't be shy...k?  even little successes

or things learned are WONDERFUL to share...

YOUR comments

... have great odds to.... at least inspire one reader.

...but, even more  likely WILL inspire us ALL!