Picky Eaters - Getting Kids to Eat Healthy

Author: Lin Burress
Do you have a picky-eater in your house? Are you struggling to get your children to eat a healthy, balanced meal because they simply refuse to eat healthy food? Is your picky eater becoming an overweight statistic, willing to only eat fried foods, pizza, hot dogs, waffles and other sugar-coated sweet treats?

You may even find yourself feeling like you've become a "short order" cook in your own home, serving up cafeteria-style meals for each family member just to keep the peace. If this sounds at all familiar, and you want to learn how to get your picky eater to eat healthy foods and have better health, carefully consider the following:

Children learn what they live, so if parents are not setting the right example, by eating a healthy diet themselves, parents are setting the stage for failure with their own children‘s health. Getting children to eat healthy food needs to begin when children are very young, while their tastes for different foods are still developing. Toddlers and older children can learn to love healthy foods, even if they are now very picky about what they will or will not eat.

"Samantha" is an overweight eight year-old child, who has just begun eating salads and a couple varieties of meats. Until very recently, she refused to eat anything but hot dogs, waffles, pizza, chicken nuggets, French fries and anything loaded with sugar. When she and her parents are invited to dinner at someone's home, they inevitably bring along a box of frozen waffles and syrup to heat and serve their "picky eater" in place of the planned meal.

Samantha's parents' would lament, "we think she has a mental block", due to her refusal to eat anything remotely healthy. I dare say it isn't the child who has a mental block! Samantha's parents have enabled this behavior in their child by passing on their own dislike of healthy foods, and they now have an overweight statistic to show for it.

"Tara" is a mother of two young daughters, six year old Jessica and five year old Chelsey. While Tara is preparing a healthy and nutritious meal for her husband, she will ask her daughters what they want to eat for dinner because "they hate everything", ultimately preparing three separate meals in order to "keep the peace" at the dinner table. Tara often complains that she doesn't like this never-ending ritual, but fails to realize that putting a stop to it is well within her abilities as a parent of these two young girls.

Children that are picky eaters are that way because parents are allowing it to happen. It's your parental responsibility to make the rules about meals and snacks - not your child or teenagers. If you want your children to eat healthy, then serve them healthy and nutritious meals that the entire family can enjoy together.

If your child adamantly refuses to eat the healthy meal set before them, then cover and save their meal in the refrigerator until they later say they're hungry. Then simply say, "That's good because I saved your dinner for you". Reheat and serve the meal to your child. Children that are truly hungry will eat. Children are not harmed by missing a meal or two.

It's important to remember that being a picky eater is a learned behavior, and it will take time and determination on the part of the parents' to change things around.

Getting your children to learn to love fruits and vegetables can often be accomplished by offering small amounts of dipping sauces, dressings, or flavored low-fat yogurt to dip into. Instead of doling out cookies, brownies, donuts, chips and other high-calorie snacks, keep a variety of well-stocked fresh fruits or vegetables in easy reach of hungry children.

From the time my children were very young, they ate and snacked on fresh and uncooked broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, celery with peanut butter, and all varieties of fresh fruits. We regularly introduced new items, especially different ethnic foods, and over a period of time learned to love all healthy foods. Sugary sweets such as cakes or cookies were saved for a special treat on weekends, rather than a nearly nightly occurrence following the evening meal.

Changing the behavior of a picky eater may not be an easy task, but nothing about parenting is easy. The sooner parents' start changing their own attitudes and behaviors towards healthy eating, the sooner they can expect their children to do the same.


Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/parenting-articles/picky-eaters-getting-kids-to-eat-healthy-294297.html
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Poor Man's Guide To Eating Healthy

Author: Isabella R. Sapphire
If you have very little money to spend on healthy foods because of the price, then you will find this advice to be just what you need for eating healthy with little money.

Being a healthy eater requires you to become both educated and smart about what healthy eating actually is. Being food smart isn't about learning to calculate grams or fat, or is it about studying labels and counting calories.

Eating healthy requires quite a bit of leeway. You might eat too much or not enough, consume foods that are sometimes more or less nutritious. However, you should always fuel your body and your brain regularly with enough food to keep both your mind and body strong and alert.

Eating healthy is something we all would like to do, although it can be hard.  In order to eat healthy, you must first make the right food choices.  Eating healthy is all about what you eat, which makes the choices very crucial to your results.

Stop eating Processed junk food and do your grocery shopping on your own, because your children and sometimes your spouse are usually the ones requesting Processed junk food. Shopping alone will ensure that you only buy the foods that you need.

Drink pure Filtered Water and unsweating herb tea instead of coffee, milk, juice and soft drinks. If you need milk or milk products on a daily basis for your Children, then buy organic milk or milk products with 2% or less fat, low sugar and salt.

Buy fruits in quantity, When they are in season, buy fruits in quantity and freeze any extras. You can buy several pounds this way, and freeze extras to have them when the fruit goes out of season. Wash the fruit well, remove any spoiled pieces, dry thoroughly, then freeze in plastic zipper bags.

Lean Meats and beans are a good sources for protein, but lean meat is more expensive than meats with a lot of fat, so limit your meats to once or twice a month. All beans are a healthier chose for protein then meats, as they give you protein at a great price.

You should use beans as a substitute for meat on a frequent occasion. There are several varieties, so you can prepare them in a crock pot, when you return home they are ready to  consume.

The USDA recommends eating beans at least 4 times per week.  If you experience gas after eating beans you should try washing them, covering them with water and put half a raw potato into the pot of beans, bringing the water to a boil, then draining it off and remove the cooked potato, leaving the pot with just beans. 

If you live in a coastal area or an area where fish are around, make that an integral part of your diet. You can catch them from the lakes or rivers, saving money in the process.

Peanut butter is great for those with low income, as it's popular with almost everyone. You can use it for sandwiches instead of eating hot dogs. Read the label on the jar as sum Peanut butter jars need to be refrigerated and sum does not, although bigger jars can last you for weeks or months.

You should buy foods that have a high content of water.  Watermelon, salads, and even sugar free gelatin are all great examples. 

Healthy eating is all about balanced and moderate eating, consisting of healthy meals at least three times per day.  Healthy eaters eat many different types of foods, not limiting themselves to one specific food type or food group.

You should always remember that restricting food in any way is always a bad thing.  Healthy eating is a way of life, something that you can do to enhance your body or your lifestyle.  If you've thought about making your life better, healthy eating is just the place to start.  You'll make life easier for yourself, those around you, and even your family.

By picking your foods wisely and watching what you eat, you'll help control your lifestyle.  Exercise is great as well, as it goes along perfect with a healthy eating lifestyle.  No matter what your age may be, eating healthy will help you keep your active lifestyle for years and years - even help you and your health in the long run as well.

Eating healthy is always something you can't go wrong with.  You can eat healthy for just a few bucks, which makes it perfect for those with low income. Now, you don't need a lot of money to have the lifestyle and health you've always wanted.
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/poor-mans-guide-to-eating-healthy-4475388.html
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