Guest Post on Natural Parents Network - Healthy Eating August 27, 2013 11:21

You may be trying to squeeze in one final getaway before school starts this fall - or planning your holiday and winter break vacations. It can be hard to stay the course with avoiding heavy fast foods when traveling - especially with kids. I recently contributed a post to Natural Parents Network on tips my family uses to eat healthy while on the road. It's all about planning ahead and saving money without sacrificing your food standards. Check out my post on Natural Parents Network here.

-Ashley

10 on 10: Favorite Parenting Quotes March 11, 2013 13:23

One of my favorite conversations with my nephew is to talk about just how wise his mother is, and how moms always know what is best.  Sometimes, he’ll nod and agree with me, other times he’ll say “No Auntie Issa, I always know what it best because I am a super hero. ”   Superpowers or not, he still has a wise mom.  This month’s 10 on 10 is an attribute to some of the wisest parents, old and new.  It is a list of our 10 favorite quotes on parenting: 

“Tell me and I forget, teach me and I may remember, involve me and I learn.” 
― Benjamin Franklin

“Children are people, and they should have to reach to learn about things, to understand things, just as adults have to reach if they want to grow in mental stature. Life is composed of lights and shadows, and we would be untruthful, insincere, and saccharine if we tried to pretend there were no shadows. Most things are good, and they are the strongest things; but there are evil things too, and you are not doing a child a favor by trying to shield him from reality. The important thing is to teach a child that good can always triumph over evil.” 
― Walt Disney Company

“No matter how calmly you try to referee, parenting will eventually produce bizarre behavior, and I'm not talking about the kids. Their behavior is always normal.” 
― Bill Cosby

“Children have never been very good at listening to their elders, but they have never failed to imitate them.” 
― James Baldwin

“I know it is hard for you young mothers to believe that almost before you can turn around the children will be gone and you will be alone with your husband. You had better be sure you are developing the kind of love and friendship that will be delightful and enduring. Let the children learn from your attitude that he is important. Encourage him. Be kind. It is a rough world, and he, like everyone else, is fighting to survive. Be cheerful. Don't be a whiner.” 
― Marjorie Pay Hinckley, Small and Simple Things

“Before I got married I had six theories about raising children; now, I have six children and no theories.” 
― John Wilmot

“Parenting is really just a matter of tracking, of hoping your kids do not get so far ahead you can no longer see their next moves. ” 
― Jodi Picoult, My Sister's Keeper

“No one is ever quite ready; everyone is always caught off guard. Parenthood chooses you. And you open your eyes, look at what you've got, say "Oh, my gosh," and recognize that of all the balls there ever were, this is the one you should not drop. It's not a question of choice.” 
― Marisa de los Santos, Love Walked In

“No man should bring children into the world who is unwilling to persevere to the end in their nature and education.” 
― Plato

“The best way to make children good is to make them happy.” 
― Oscar Wilde

-Alyssa

Product Review: Squooshi February 18, 2013 15:49

I haven’t gotten this excited about a new product since we dreamed up the SlumberSling. Squooshi is my new favorite thing for so many reasons – which is why we’re now carrying them on the site, and including them in one of the few product reviews we do here on our blog.

I’ve always been frustrated with finding healthy, affordable on-the-go snacks for my kids. String cheese, apples, fruit leather and homemade fruit/nut bars tend to be my standard choices, but none of those are typically filling enough to make a full snack for my big eaters. Reusable sandwich and snack bags started to make packing snacks a little easier, but I still feel like I’m always lugging around 10 pounds of food everywhere we go.  

My kids love the food pouches and applesauce pouches from the grocery store. The problem is they are not cost effective, and every snack just creates more trash for the landfills. This is where Squooshi comes in and saves the day.

According to the Squooshi founder, over 2 billion single use food pouches end up in landfills every year. So, facing the same snack challenges most moms are familiar with, she was inspired to create an affordable, reusable version.

Some of Squooshi’s awesome features: BPA-free, Phthalate-free, PVC-free, and Lead-free, money saving (pre-filled pouches cost $1.50-$2.25 each), save energy (pre-packaged food travels over 1,200 miles before it reaches you), less mess and less for mom to tote around in her bag.

Here are a few snack ideas I’ve used in our Squooshi pouches.

·      Strawberry-banana puree

·      Green smoothies (which can be frozen in batches)

·      Applesauce

·      Plain yogurt (SO much better than the sugary, artificial Go-Gurts)

·      Mashed avocado

·      Peanut butter, cooked oatmeal and banana mush 

·      Hummus to squeeze on crackers packed in a reusable snack bag

I think you’ll love Squooshi as much as I do! And please share your favorite Squooshi recipes with us on Facebook!

-Ashley

We Don't Want SUGAR Plums - Healthy Holiday Treats December 19, 2012 16:07

Ashley and I have been known to be quite the sugar fiends.  We blame it on our genetics and claim that it runs in the family, which is totally legitimate right!?  Ok maybe not, but in our family it is typical for grandma to have her first bowl of ice cream by 8 am, meanwhile our mother is eating the tops off all of the cupcakes in the house. 

Ashley and I are determined to break the mold.  We refuse to be slaves to all of the delicious, tempting, delectable, insert more adjectives here, sugary desserts.  And we've gotten pretty good at maintaining restraint!! 

Once you cut refined sugars out of your diet, you simply can’t keep them in your home. Having it around but trying to tell yourself it's not something you can eat ‘today’ just doesn’t work long-term. This step is not easy, especially when you share a home with others who may not be on the same, no-sugar page, but it’s definitely doable.  Nobody’s perfect, but this step has definitely helped us make serious progress in eliminating sugars. 

The holidays get challenging though.  There is temptation everywhere and it gets much harder to be strong. So, we've gotten creative and come up with ways to have our cake and eat it to...literally.  Below are a few of our favorite 'not so guilty' treats that really are treats (except for in our mom’s and grandma’s eyes, but they believe in only sugar and butter, so we choose our battles)!  

Avocado Chocolate Pudding
Ingredients:

·      1 ripe avocado

·      1/4 cup cocoa powder

·      1/3 cup honey

·      1/4 cup coconut milk or almond milk

Directions:
Blend all ingredients together until creamy.

Creamy Cashew Pudding
Ingredients:

·      1 cup raw cashews, soaked*


·      1 teaspoon vanilla extract


·      1 teaspoon coconut oil


·      2 teaspoons raw honey


·      1/4 cup filtered water, or almond milk


·      pinch of sea salt

*To soak cashews: Soak 1 cup raw cashews in 2 cups of filtered water, so that they are completely covered in liquid. Lightly cover the bowl with a towel, and allow to sit at room temperature for 2-3 hours. Drain completely and rinse the cashews well before using. (Keep refrigerated if not using them right away.)

Directions:
Combine all of the ingredients in a blender or food processor, and blend until very smooth and creamy.

Fudge!!
Ingredients:

·      1 cup raw cashew butter (or nut butter of choice)

·      ⅓ cup coconut oil

·      ¼ cup cocoa powder

·      ¼ cup pure maple syrup

·      ½ teaspoon fine sea salt

·      1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

·      In a medium bowl, mix together the nut butter and coconut oil until smooth. (This works best if the ingredients are slightly warm. Alternatively, you could blend them together using a food processor.)

·      Add in the cocoa powder, maple syrup, sea salt and vanilla, and stir until smooth and creamy.

·      Transfer the mixture to a dish, lined with plastic wrap for easy removal, and smooth the top with a spatula.

·      Place the dish in the freezer, and allow the fudge to set for at least an hour before slicing and serving. Thanks to the coconut oil, this raw fudge will melt quickly if left to sit in a warm room, so it’s best served directly from the freezer.

Chocolate Caramel Brownie Cups
Ingredients:

Brownie:

·      1 cup blanched almond meal

·      2 tbsp coconut flour

·      1/4 tsp sea salt

·      1/2 tsp cinnamon

·      1/4 cup cocoa powder

·      2 tbsp coconut oil, melted

·      2 tbsp honey

·      1 tsp vanilla extract

·      1 egg

Caramel Layer:

·      10 large (preferably soft) medjool dates, pitted

·      3 tbsp boiling water

·      slightly less than 1/4 tsp sea salt

·      1 tsp vanilla extract

·      1/3 cup creamed coconut

Chocolate Layer:

·      1/2 cup dark chocolate or chips

·      1 tbsp coconut oil

·      1/8 tsp sea salt

Directions:

For the Brownies:

·      Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a deep silicone muffin tin and set aside (If you don’t have a silicone muffin pan, I suggest using paper liners so as to not have to wrestle with it to get your goodies out).

·      Blend almond meal and coconut flour.

·      Add in salt, cinnamon and cocoa and blend with a fork.
Stir in the coconut oil, honey, vanilla and egg. Blend until completely mixed.

·      Spoon into six or seven of the muffin tin compartments.

·      Bake for 13-15 minutes. Remove and cool completely. (I use the freezer for speedier cooling, just don’t forget them in there.)

For the Caramel Layer: 

·      Place dates and boiling water in a blender or food processor and blend until liquefied.

·      Add in remaining ingredients and blend until smooth.

·      Pour over cooled brownie layer and cool again.

For the Chocolate Layer:

·      In a double boiler or a small metal bowl placed over a small pot of gently simmering water, add the chocolate chips, ghee and salt.

·      Stir continuously until just melted.

·      Pour over cooled cups and spread around with your finger or a small spatula.

·      Cool completely before trying to remove.

Disclaimer: we do not take credit for inventing these satisfying substitutes—we're not that good—but we do love them.  We do encourage you to check out Detoxinista’s blog at http://detoxinista.com.  We are loving her recipes!! 

We'd love for any of you to share healthy treat recipes that you have. 

-Alyssa

Guest Post from Dr. Mary Sheedy Kurcinka: Alternatives to Spanking December 12, 2012 12:41

They were standing in the hallway of four-year old Larkyn’s child care center as she stomped her foot in defiance. Despite her mother’s pleas, Larkyn adamantly refused to put on her jacket in order to join her class outside on the playground.  “I’ve got to go to work!”  Mom exclaimed in exasperation fiercely fighting the urge to strike Larkyn and force her to comply. 

That’s when Lynn the director of Larkyn’s child care center stepped in. “Larkyn, I see you don’t want to put on your jacket. What’s up?” 

“I want to stay inside!”  Larkyn exclaimed. And before Lynn could question further she added, “It’s too windy outside.”   

“Oh, you don’t like the wind?” Lynn clarified. 

“I don’t!  And there’s a big garbage truck out there.” Larkyn declared. 

“So you want to stay inside because it’s too windy outside, but really because you don’t like the big garbage truck?” Lynn offered.  Larkyn’s shoulders suddenly relaxed, realizing that Lynn understood.

Lynn sighed, “Well, there are no teachers to watch you inside, but what if you put your jacket on and when the garbage truck leaves I’ll take you out to your group. Would that work? Larkyn nodded in agreement and slipped into her coat. 

Lynn did not strike Larkyn, demand that she stop this nonsense and put on her coat, nor ridicule her for being afraid of the wind and the garbage truck. Nor did she “give in” and bring a teacher inside to watch Larkyn alone. Lynn understood that behind every challenging behavior there is a feeling and need and if you take the time to discover that feeling and need you can work together for a win/win solution. 

If we are really honest, spanking is actually about our own frustration and feelings of powerlessness. It teaches a child nothing other than demonstrating that if you are bigger than someone you can hit them. You might be thinking, well I was spanked, and it never hurt me. But the research tells us that spanking is like smoking. Not all smokers get cancer but we don’t know who will and will not. The same is true of spanking, some children may not be emotionally harmed by a slap, but some –and again we do not know who, can suffer lifelong emotional damage.

The reality is we NEVER need to strike a child. When a child is not complying, there is always a reason and it’s not to embarrass you, make you late for work or drive you crazy. By stopping and listening you are teaching your child to be a problem solver who works with you. This is a life skill and the basis of all strong relationships.

So next time you are tempted to strike your child, take a long deep breath and simply ask, “What’s up?”  By doing so instead of hurting your child both physically and emotionally, you will be connecting and building that relationship that keeps him working with you even during the tough times.  Now that’s worth a few minutes of your time.  

Mary Sheedy Kurcinka, Ed.D., is director of Parentchildhelp.com and author of Raising Your Spirited Child and Sleepless in America. For more parenting tips, visit her blog at http://parentingquestionsfordrmaryandlynn.blogspot.com/.

The Mom for More Happy and Healthy Children December 10, 2012 14:59

Ashley and I enjoy taking nominations for our Mom of the Month.  We love people sharing stories with us about an amazing mom that they know.  It’s awesome!  But, the mom that we are honoring this month happened more by chance.  As a grad student, I was scanning the Internet to find information for a project I am working on and stumbled upon a blog post by Jennifer Burden.

Jennifer, mother of two little girls, founded World Moms Blog, which writes about global motherhood, culture, social good and human rights.   Since discovering her blog that day, I’ve read many of her posts.  I don’t personally know Jennifer, but I am truly inspired not only by the work that she is doing, but also by the determinism and strength that she demonstrates. 

After learning that a child dies every 20 seconds from a disease that could have been prevented through a vaccination, Jennifer became a strong advocate for providing children in developing countries with live-saving vaccines.  She has dedicated herself to spreading awareness and raising funds so that so that there are more healthy and happy children in this world.  Jennifer works with the UN Foundation's Shot@Life campaign as a Champion, and recently went with the organization on a trip to Uganda.  In addition, she is also the creator of the "GAVI Global Tea Party" to continue advocacy for life-saving vaccinations for children in the developing world.

By reading her blog, it’s not hard to tell how much she believes in this cause; she has even been brave enough to share her own personal story in efforts to raise awareness.  We wanted to honor Jennifer as Mom of the Month to show appreciation for all of the work that she is doing.  She’s not just leading by example for her two little girls, but she is showing all of us that we can be a part of something bigger than ourselves.    

We encourage all of our readers to learn more at http://www.worldmomsblog.com/ and http://shotatlife.org/. 

-Alyssa

Kids & Veggies : Creating a Lasting Love November 28, 2012 11:08

Getting kids to eat their vegetables seems to be a universal challenge among parents (though I’d venture that it is largely an issue faced by Americans). Everybody takes a different approach to this from bribing or force-feeding to disguising veggies in other food or giving up all together.

There’s no question that kids need to eat their vegetables as part of a healthy diet and moreover to build the foundation for a life of healthy eating. But while the concept itself is simple, the execution becomes seemingly insurmountable for many families.

Long before I became a mom, I proclaimed that I would be excessively strict about food when it came to my children. Healthy nutrition is a passion for me, and I have for many years believed sugar should have a very limited presence in anybody’s daily diet. At the same time, I love chocolate, baked sweets and frozen yogurt, and I come from a long line of sweet lovers, so I’m not always able to practice what I preach.

In the last few years, I’ve learned a few approaches that have helped in creating a love for veggies among my kiddos. Below is a list of my strategies, but as children’s palettes change with the wind, I’m always looking for new ideas. Take a look at this list, and let us know some things that have worked for your family.

·      Super Baby Food: With the exception of using store-bought organic baby rice cereal, all of the food my babies consumed in their first year was organic, homemade and free of anything processed. This included a strict no-sweets rule – their first birthdays were the first time they tasted anything with a sweetener.

·      Say No To the Sweet Tooth: Even after the first birthdays, we remained very strict about sweets. Some people may think this is depriving kids of the normal childhood enjoyment of treats, but I disagree. My kids still enjoy plenty of traditional treats, but they understand that those treats are to be enjoyed in moderation, and only as part of a balanced, healthy diet that is rich with fruits and vegetables. This has led to my children viewing their favorite fruits as treats.

·      Beverages Are The Enemy: For us, the first few years were largely void of juices. An occasional apple juice or orange juice is allowed in moderation. Fruit drinks and soda are off limits (and the adults in the family don’t drink these either). I can probably count on one hand the amount of times my kids have had chocolate milk – it is a very special treat, not the norm. As a result, they love water and plain old milk, and drink plenty of it.

·      Variety: Every meal, even their first meals, included lots of variety. This is a pillar of nutrition plans suggested for children by dieticians. Each meal includes a whole grain, fruit and/or veggie and protein, accompanied by organic milk. There are many times when my kids refuse to eat the veggies they are offered, but there are just as many times when the green stuff is the first thing they eat. The point is that the more you offer a variety of healthy foods, the more they will grow to enjoy and favor many of them.

·      Stick to the Classics: We’ll go through a phase when carrots are the only acceptable veggie, or cauliflower or broccoli, or whatever. Nobody ever overdosed on carrots as far as I know, so I just go with it. If my four year old refuses any veggie but carrots for a week, he simply eats carrots every day. Eventually he moves on and is willing to add tomatoes, beans and broccoli back into the mix. Another point on this is that I keep it really simple. Plain steamed veggies seem to taste better to my kids than roasted herbed carrots or Parmesan sautéed green beans.

·      What’s a Happy Meal?: We don’t eat fast food. We’ve gone more than four years, and the kiddos don’t even know what a Happy Meal is. I’ll be clear that we will pick up a grass fed cheeseburger, deli sandwich or a burrito from a fresh-mex place, and we order pizza. So I guess that qualifies as fast food. But McDonalds, Burger King, Taco Bell, KFC and the like just aren’t part of our repertoire.

·      I’m Not Above Bribes: At the end of the day, if nothing else is working, I remind the kids that if they want to earn their special treats, they need to eat their veggies. Sometimes a little nudge that if they finish their greens they might earn that ice cream they’ve been wanting, is all it takes for them to dig into the kale that remains on their plate. And usually once they do take a bite, they tell me how yummy it is.

-Ashley  

Braving Vegetarian and The Thanksgiving Turkey November 15, 2012 16:35

Co-Authored by Alyssa and Ashley

If you ask people what are some of their favorite things to do, one of the most common answers is “eating”.  I have yet to meet a person who does not claim to love food.  The majority of our society does not eat to live, we live to eat!  It is a social, traditional and cultural aspect of our daily lives. This is one key reason why vegetarianism is so controversial.

Alyssa’s Take

I have never been a big meat eater, but I have yet to make the full commitment to become a vegetarian.  I don’t think eating animals is wrong, but I do think supporting factory farming by eating animals that come from such tortured conditions is wrong.  I also think it is unhealthy, kind of gross, and on top of that, I only have this one body so I better take care of it. 

In my experience, most people cannot understand why someone would choose to become a vegetarian or be anti-meat-eating.  I think education and research on what we are actually consuming is a game-changer.  But this is my belief.  And, same as I feel about my beliefs in anything else, I know I have the right to think this way but I must refrain from forcing this opinion on anyone else or claim that ‘I’m right and you’re wrong.’ 

So when people ask me, “Why don’t you eat chicken? It’s good for you,” I usually respond with a simple “Trust me, I have my reasons.”  Jonathan Safran Foer, author of Eating Animals, would probably be disappointed with this response, as he would probably tell me that I am passing up a prime opportunity to spread the truths about factory farming.  And yes, he’d be right. However, I do often follow up with telling people to read Foer’s book or any other testimonial about factory farming to learn more about my reasons for not eating poultry, etc. 

The tricky part for Ashley, who has long been a committed vegetarian, is how to raise her kids in light of this issue. 

Ashley’s Take

So, yes, I’m a vegetarian and have been for about 10 years. Even before I fully gave up meat eating, I dabbled in ‘boycotting’ certain meats due to the way the animals were treated or what animal parts were in the food. For example, I gave up hot dogs as a young child, upon learning what was actually in them. I quit octopus (a sushi favorite) as soon as I became aware of the animal’s high intelligence.

But it hasn’t always been easy. Since becoming a vegetarian, I have had lapses. A bite of filet mignon at a high end restaurant, a taste of steak grilled by our Argentinean friend, a sip of chicken noodle soup during a particularly nasty bout with the flu. And while I could probably count the total of these lapses on one hand, they have been enough to make me reconsider my choice to abstain from eating animals.

Ultimately, I have a lot of reasons for remaining vegetarian. Health, animal rights, humanity, concern about the impact of factory farming on our Earth, genetic modification, hormones, cloning and so on. I agree with Alyssa that there is a humane and responsible way to consume meat, and it is becoming easier to do so. But for me, I don’t feel that I need meat badly enough that a pig or cow or chicken needs to be slaughtered for my dining pleasure.

That being said, my children are not vegetarians. I have grappled with this decision for years, and my oldest son did start out as a vegetarian. What I’ve learned from feeding my family (which includes a meat-eating husband) is that it can be difficult to feed a child a fully balanced diet without meat. I know many people do it, and I applaud them. But children are picky eaters, and many of the foods they need to consume regularly to replace meat are often foods they do not like.

So for now, my children eat meat as responsibly as I can possibly enable – free range, humanely raised, hormone-free meat from local farms. I know where their meat comes from and what’s in (or NOT in) it. We will educate them about what eating meat means for their health and the planet, and the risks associated with factory farming. In time, they will have to choose for themselves, and I will support whichever decision they make, (though I secretly hope they choose vegetarian!).

In light of Thanksgiving, we will be serving Turkey, and my family, not including me, will be eating it. But our Turkey will be from a local farm, and will have lived a happy turkey life before it is served at our table. It’s not perfect, but it’s the balance that our family has achieved.

How does your family balance traditional holiday foods with your moral beliefs?

-Alyssa and Ashley

Mom of the Month: Lisa Leake of 100 Days of Real Food November 13, 2012 15:51

Feeding your kids = a lot of work. Feeding your kids a healthy diet (and keeping it affordable!) =  a full time job. Feeding your kids exclusively a diet of whole foods and eliminating processed junk completely = seemingly impossible.

Lisa Leake, a mom of two and the highly followed blogger of 100 Days of Real Food, did what most families consider unattainable. On a quest to a healthier family, in 2010 Lisa and her family set out to completely eliminate highly processed foods, including all white flour and refined sugar, from their diet for 100 days. At the time when the family embarked on this pledge, Lisa had no prior knowledge of whole food nutrition and claims she had never before read an ingredient label, nor did she know there was anything wrong with that. Her children were ages 3 and 5 years at the time – which she points to as a testament that any family can change their eating habits to include only ‘real’ foods.

Lisa blogged through the entire process, documenting what the family was eating and the challenges they faced through the first 100 days. Throughout, her family maintained the pledge amidst birthday parties, travel, restaurant meals and school lunches. As a mom who shares Lisa’s passion for nutrition, I know how difficult and time consuming it can be to feed your family well for every meal, every day.

After successfully completing the first 100 days, the Leake family took on another 100-day challenge of real food on a budget, wherein they spent only $125 per week on food. For families who think they can’t afford to eat well, this is a great inspiration, and Lisa details on her blog dozens of tips for how to make a budget work for a real food diet.

Lisa’s blog has evolved since those first challenges, and is now a rich resource of information for readers from across the spectrum of food consumption – whether you are a die hard fast foodie looking for education about food or you already know all the ropes of whole food eating, you will find value in Lisa’s blog. She has hundreds of recipes, a list of kitchen essentials, ‘rules’ for anyone ready to take on the 100-day challenge, 14 mini-pledges for those looking for a slower transition away from processed foods, and new content every week with information, interviews and tips for healthier eating.  

So our hats are off to Lisa! We love your blog, and are so happy there’s someone out there taking such a firm stance on improving the way families approach nutrition. Take a moment to read her blog and tell us what you think!

-Ashley

Guest Post: Kids' Nutrition November 1, 2012 23:02

Guest Blog By Wendy Camaano, Registered Dietitan

When you are facing strict schedules that accompany the school year and an upcoming busy holiday season, it is easy to let planned, healthy meals fall by the wayside, in favor of something quick, and perhaps, not as nutritious. Despite the chaos, it is important to remember that children are in a critical developmental stage in their lives both physically and in creating healthy eating habits.

Kids need a focused diet—with lots of whole, nutritious foods that offer balance and variety. This means fruits, vegetables, whole grains, dairy and healthy fats throughout the day.

It’s important to teach kids to listen to their bodies and trust their hunger and over-indulgence cues. As a parent, you may want to decide what and when they are eating, but it should be up to the kids to decide how much they eat.

Children are born with a pretty good sense of when they’re hungry and when they’re full. We as adults need to trust these instincts. Some days, kids will eat more, or less, and as long as they’re eating from different food groups, you don’t have to worry about them eating too many or too few calories in a particular day.

If kids are in the habit of eating balanced amounts of fruits, vegetables and whole grains during the day, they are more likely to choose these nutrient-dense foods rather than refined carbohydrates and processed foods when snack time rolls around. A balanced, whole-food diet including all the food groups must be the foundation.

The best thing parents can do is keep a variety of whole foods available in the house and remember that not everything is in your control. If you offer balanced, wholesome snacks and meals, and set a good example yourself, then you are laying the groundwork. When possible, try to get your kids involved in the food process (gardening, cooking, prepping, etc.) so they have a better appreciation and understanding of food, and where it comes from.

It is also important to remember that kids won’t eat well 100 percent of the time. Kids will be kids, and it is totally okay!  If your child eats only macaroni and cheese and maybe a carrot once a week, that is okay, too! They go through eating stages. Just keep offering healthy options and know that kids need to try things over and over again before they may learn to like something. Just don’t give up and keep setting a good example.