The Sneaky Chef

It seems you can always find a story on the news about the fear of how unhealthy children are these days whether it be to inactivity or overeating of unhealthy foods.  For me, once I had my daughter this became somewhat of a passion of mine.  I was on a mission to do everything I could to ensure she was getting all the nutrients she needed to be a healthy and active child.

When she was a baby and it was time for her to begin solids, it was important to me that have as much unprocessed food as possible.  If this meant taking an hour out of my day to cook, chop, steam, puree and freeze numerous vegetables and fruits then I did it.  I knew that what she was getting was good for her, and I didn’t have to worry about all the other “stuff” that companies pack into infant/children’s food.

Since starting back to work I’ve found it more and more difficult each night when I get home in preparing her a meal that not only is nutritious but something that she will actually eat.  I know I’m not the only mother out there that gets home from work and would rather throw some frozen chicken fingers on a cookie sheet with fries and call it a night (and don’t get me wrong – these nights do happen in our house). But in most part, we do make an effort to give her the best nutritional value out of each meal. 

1. Hide It – if you have a child that simply won’t eat any veggies or fruits why not hide them?  I love using my Cutco to chop and dice all those veggies and fruits into smaller bits which makes it so much easier to sneak them into the dish. By using a good set of knives, it takes up less time to prepare which in the end leaves me with more time for my daughter!
2. Dip It – Serving healthy “dips” to your child is a great trick to help get them to eat veggies/fruit. Small helpings of dips such as hummus, peanut butter, yogurt, apple sauce and salad dressings can all help aid in persuading those picky eaters to at least take a taste.
3. Let Them Play – no crazy food fights here, but why not encourage your child to explore their foods.  Try serving the veggies and fruits in different ways and forms.  Some children obviously will prefer veggies raw compared to cooked (don’t we all?).  It’s just finding out what works for your child.
4. Grow It – With the spring and summer weather upon us, what about getting your child involved in growing their own little garden to help them get over that “picky eater” stage.  Sometimes when children are given the opportunity to help with the whole gardening experience the veggies or fruits may have more of an appeal to them? Tasting what they grew is a great way to introduce new vegetables and fruits into your child’s diet as well.
5. And Finally … Leave the Best for Last! - to most children this means dessert.  Often times we do this with our daughter whose favourite desserts happen to be yogurt and applesauce.  I simply serve her dinner and then to the side place her dessert.  By doing this she sees exactly what’s in store for her at the end of meal and it entices her to finish.