Join UrbanMoms as we discuss being active and making healthy choices in the “life is good” blog series sponsored by Nesquik.
At a time when most Canadian children may not be getting the calcium
and other essential nutrients they need, delicious milk – like chocolate
milk made with Nesquik – is just a good idea.
When I was pregnant with my first child, I craved vegetables for the entire nine months of his gestation. Raw veggies, roasted veggies, salads and sauces…it was all healthy all the time. He was born a good eater, and today (almost 12 years later!!) he’s willing to try anything and still enjoys most vegetables.
When I was pregnant the second time around, I remember wandering around the grocery store munching on a bag of Cheetos. I remember craving chicken wings and ice cream constantly. I knew I was in trouble. Lo and behold, my second son is a much pickier eater, who would choose junk food over a healthy snack at any opportunity. He’s always been reluctant to try new things food-wise, and his view on vegetables is close to my view on the bubonic plague; avoid at all costs!
I’ve come up with solutions to his sandwich aversion by sending him to school every day with cereal for lunch. I’ve introduced him to the wonder of smoothies for breakfast, and am able to sneak in almost a full day’s worth of fruit and veggie needs. I’ve adapted some of his favourite meals to incorporate more vegetables (yes, that means EVERYTHING is served with a side of cucumbers and carrots, from tacos to fettucini alfredo).
But the best solution to dealing with his aversion to new and healthy foods and recipes was signing him up in a kids’ cooking class. Each week he’d go off to his cooking class, and come back with samples for me of the amazing creations he’d worked on, along with recipes so that we could make them at home. Granola, banana bread, scones and sushi! (ok, the sushi was candy sushi with marshmallows, fruit roll-ups and licorice, but this introduced him to the concept of real sushi, which has become a favourite!)
The key was that he was involved in the planning, the preparation and the serving of all of these foods, so he was invested in trying them out. More often than not he was surprised to find that he enjoyed these new and foreign tastes!
He also derived a real sense of pride from presenting his creations to the whole family, and continues to help out with pancake breakfasts at the cottage, using the recipe from his cooking class.
I’ve used this knowledge to introduce other new recipes into our family repertoire. By getting the kids on board early (in planning the week’s meal schedule, in the grocery store aisles, by involving them in the prep in the kitchen), they’re more apt to at least try something new at the table.
So if you’ve got a picky eater in your family, consider a kids cooking class. They’re popping up all over the country (Loblaws has a great selection of cooking classes, and private cooking schools often host classes for kids).
At the very least you’ll get few new recipes to work into your meal planning schedule. At the most you may set your child on the path to a healthier lifestyle and a better relationship with food!