I received a great question today from Rebecca:
"I am trying to go vegan but want to make sure my kids eat the good food and get enough nutrients. Any suggestions or advice? I have a 2 and 4 year old"
Which made me want to create this post out of oldies but goodies... It will be long so be warned!
My parenting style in general is to allow the kiddo to think for himself. Set safe boundaries and then allow him to make choices within them, with the thought that some day, I won't be around, and he will have to make choices anyway. I'd prefer he make the RIGHT ones whether I'm there or not!
Now I can't say this will work for every child, but I've seen it work at least 100 times with mine. Soccer Games, Parties, School, Camp... he CHOOSES the right foods because he wants to. And if he WANTS to, then he doesn't need to "sneak" or "rebel"...
Making them WANT to, is the trick!
Soooo, HOW did I make him want to? Well, I have the advantage that certain foods do make him physically ill, so he knows to stay away from those. But as for everything else... That took Trickery!
Here are my top 15 Tips to making Tricking kids in to eating well:
#1 - Keep things COLORFUL:
#2 - Don't ever make them feel left out. If its Pizza day at school/camp, send them with Pizza:
Last Minute Vegan Pizza
If there is a party, be prepared to send them with dessert that they can eat.
#3- Prep Food over the weekend!! Keep Washed, Fresh and Cut Up Yummy Food in the Fridge so they can grab easily (age appropriate of course) or so MOM can grab easily.
When your in a hurry, it is so much easier to grab the junk food because it is fast. But if you take away the need, you leave your self with healthy options instead. Ready for everyone to graze on.
This link probably has the biggest prep day I ever had: Major food prep sunday
#4 - Take them to Sustainable Farms in your area, so they can interact with the Animals and see the Gardens first hand. They learn to appreciate the animals and the great food as well as to see natural vs. not so much.
#5 - Educate!! Explain your choices as early as possible and answer questions that come up. If they want to know what is in a burger.. Tell them the truth!
Watch movies together when age appropriate
Read Kind Books:
Or take them to classes at the local health stores. My son Still talks about a class where he learned about Sugar and High Fructose Corn Syrup. I think he took that class 3 or 4 years ago.
#6 - Make Eating Fun
Mashed Potato Turkey with Asparagus:
Food as science experiment (watching the fibers of a watermelon), doesn't get more fun than that for a curious Tot!
#7 - Let them help - it may not be perfect, but who cares. They can help meal plan, shop, pick recipes from books, prepare foods and cook. Even a one year old can point to a picture and help choose what goes on his/her plate.
Veg prepares his own lunches now. He knows what is going in his box and how much work it takes, so he rarely brings home any waste. Here is an example..
1/2 Avocado, Raw Macadamia nuts, Strawberries, Apples, Veg Sushi
#8 - Take a trip to a Farm Sanctuary, learn about the animals and their stories that brought them to the sanctuary.
I mean really, who could eat this sleeping beauty after meeting her and hearing her sweet little snores:
#9 - Compartments.. My kiddo LOVES food Compartments, even when I was making his lunches and variety. Always offer variety, allow them to choose what they will eat, and try new things. If they don't like one thing, there are stll 4 others that they do like.
Variety also provides a good mix of nutrients, protein, calories and healthy fats for their growing bodies.
Ha, just realized all the pictures I chose for this post have grapes... I promise he eats more than grapes *smile*:
Spaghetti, Tings, wafers, celery and grapes:
Banana/Peanut Butter dogs, cranberries, pretzels, grapes apple:
Coconut Yogurt, Pear, Grapes, Peanut butter cookie, Cranberries, Flax Crackers:
Apple Sauce, Oat Bar, Cucumbers, Snack mix, & Tofurkey Rolls:
Muffin Tin Dinners - Another great compartment alternative. For the little tikes I used the little cups and for an older veg, I used the big ones. At 8yrs Old he still asks for Muffin Tin meals.
(Yes, I know it is not tin, but you get the idea)
This one has Cucumber salad, Sweet Potato mash, Strawberries, Grapes, Vegan Quesadillas:
#9 - Plant a Garden big or small. Even a flower in a window.
They get to see the work involved, feel the accomplishment of a harvest and watch their plants grow. if your lucky enough to get a bounty, you know exactly where it came from:
Let them make Garden Rainbows with the hose:
And Don't forget to Compost for your garden. Put younger kids in charge of filling the bin in the kitchen, and older kids in charge of dumping in to the compost outside.
Teaching the circle of garden life, is not only being environmentally responsible, but your Garden will thank you and your kids will have fun:
#10 - Find Alternatives:
When they ask to try something they see with a friend, make sure they know there is an open door policy and that you'll listen.
Then make sure you LISTEN...Find a Vegan, Organic or Healthier Alternative. Empower them to feel good about their choices and that they can talk to you when needed:
Find treats that you feel good about providing them.
HH Cinnamon Buns
#11 - Don't keep bad stuff in the house, makes it too easy to munch. If you decide to allow treats, or non veg foods when outside of the house, make them the occasional option.
Inside the home is like a Veg Safety Zone, variety and color. We don't even allow family to bring meat foods in to the house any longer. It is seriously a VEG Friendly Zone now that Hubby is on board. Of course that wasn't always the case. But it is all my Kiddo knows.
If they know no different, they act no different.
#12 - Themes, create fun themes, whether that is holidays, colors, or in this case we were learning about Mexico and had an entire day of Mexican Food.
Veg's favorite of course was this Mexican inspired Vegan Dessert:
#13 - Bulk Section - I don't have much counter space, but I did dedicate a portion to my "Bulk Section". There are always nuts, seeds, or grains and dried organic fruit of some sort. This provides go-to powerhouse snacks for all of us, and quick grab options when making lunches.
This has transformed over time, for age appropriate Veg as I allow him to grab his own snacks at will. Obviously as a toddler, I wouldn't keep choking hazards within reach. But as he grew, and could reach the countertop this became a wonderful solution.
Also by empowering him to grab all his own snacks, I never have to hear "I'm Huuuuuuuuuuuunnnnnggggrryyyyy" I eliminated so much whining by giving up a section of my counter.
He also has a drawer and all other dried goods are in there for his choosing.
#14 - Go Fruit Picking - You know where the food came from, they get to see where it came from, you can talk to local farmers, and just have a very fun outing with a delicious bounty:
#15 - LOVE - the most important item of all. Model love to yourself, your family, the planet and the animals. Be a good example for your children so they can follow. Put love in everything you do, including the food you provide..
And if nothing else works, make green juice or green smoothie with a heart on top.... Who wouldn't consume that??:
