Got picky kids when it comes to food, at least nutritious food? Do your kids try to crawl under the table when they see broccoli on the table?  Do they try to slip the dog their squash only to find the dog won’t eat it either? You’re not alone. It seems to be a fairly common phenomenon among households with kids. And, not just young children either. Older kids can be picky eaters as well.

I have been blessed with having both teenagers and younger kids at the same time. Both sets with different dietary needs and different likes and dislikes when it comes to food. My teenage boys are athletic, physical, growing boys. Even though they both look full grown (at 6 feet tall) they are still growing and their bodies, inside and outside, need the right foods to help them with this.

My two younger children have different needs both physically and emotionally when it comes to food. They are both adopted and we’ve had to learn the challenge of dealing with children who have had to go hungry in their past. Hunger can do many things to you emotionally.  We’ve had to learn to help our children understand they won’t ever go hungry again.

All of my kids are different eaters with different taste. My 16-year-old son has a sweet tooth that never seems to end.  I think sweet teeth would be more like it. It’s a constant struggle to get him to lay off the sweets.  My 19 year old could really care less about the sweets. My 9 and 10-year-old are very food focused and just want to eat.

In the process of raising 6 kids (2 of mine are already grown so they and their taste buds are on their wn) I’ve come up with some things that have helped my family over the years.

1. Respect their appetites – If they really aren’t hungry, don’t try to force them to eat. Don’t bribe them to clean their plates. And please don’t use the starving children speech. Likewise, if your child has a tendency toward overeating, help him or her to understand what it means to be full.  We quite often ask one of our younger boys, “is your tummy comfortable?” That’s when you need to stop.  Don’t make them feel guilty or bad for how little or much they eat.
2. Encourage but don’t force – Encourage kids to try new foods but don’t force it on them. They’ll just hate that zucchini even more.
3. Let them help with the meal planning – That’s easy for me since I own a menu planning service.  After the menus are out for that week I will let the whole family decide what we are eating for the week. It makes a huge difference when they have had a say so on what to eat.  They don’t always agree, but we manage.
4. Let them help with the cooking – I hear moms say that they would love to let their kids help in the kitchen but they don’t want to deal with the extra mess. It’s a great bonding time, a time to teach kids responsibility (you helped make the mess, you help clean) and if they cook it they are much more likely to eat it. Trust me, it works.
5. Have fun with meals – My family LOVES breakfast for dinner.  Pancakes, waffles, omelets, you name it.  Try having special dipping sauces (Ranch dressing works wonders) for veggies at meal times and snack times.  For some reason kids love to dip their food in things.
6. Give them their own cookbook – There are a lot of cookbooks out there that are geared to kids of all ages. My younger boys love to look at the pictures and plan on the things they are going to make. My youngest one now wants his own apron, chef hat and cooking show.  Hmmm….
7. Become friends with the smoothie – Do you know how much you can hide in a simple smoothie?  Lots. And, your little picky eaters will never know the difference.  You can pack a lot of nutrition in a smoothie. So what if it’s consumed through a straw?
8. Set the example – You can’t get your little mini me’s to eat nutritiously when they see you eating McDonalds and Dunking Donuts. Show them how to enjoy clean whole foods.
9. Pizza, Fries, Sodas, Oh My! – Teenagers are notorious for wanting to live off junk.  Mine are no exception. They want their bodies to look good but they want to eat junk. As a parent of teens, it can be a real challenge once they start going off on their own more and more. You aren’t always there to control what they are eating. Plan on having as many sit down meals as possible (sitting down at your own table and not McDonalds) during the week. Your family needs the bonding time as well as the proper nutrition they receive from the home cooked meals.
10. Just one bite rule – Let your kids know that if they will just take one bite, they don’t have to take another if they don’t like it. Chances are they will decide they do like it and if they don’t now, next week they might. My kids’ taste buds seem to change from week to week.

What are some creative ways you’ve gotten a picky eater to eat?  We’d love you to share your suggestions.

Ok, I will admit that cooking with my kids can be a lot harder at times (most of the time) than cooking by myself. I like to cook.  I find cooking therapeutic. Cooking with kids is not always therapeutic. Really! Sometimes the thought of managing my kids and their inevitable mess is almost enough for me to ban them from the kitchen. But, I remind myself of all the reasons these little chefs should be allowed to help. What are some of the reasons we should encourage our kids to discover the world of cooking?

• Kids are more likely to eat what they make. This is true. It doesn’t mean that they will devour the spinach or asparagus that they have helped to make. However, they are much more likely to at least try it. And who knows, maybe they will devour the spinach.
• Learning to cook helps kids learn about nutrition. As I’m preparing food with my kids, we talk about the foods we are cooking and how they will benefit our bodies.
• Kids need to be able to contribute to the family and feel like they play an important part. Cooking and creating in the kitchen can give them that sense of contributing to the family.
• Bonding.  Very important.Cooking together is a wonderful bonding experience.  Especially with my two youngest boys who we adopted at the age of 4 and 5, this has proved to be a great way to bond. Just remember, it’s going to take longer to prepare something and don’t worry about every little spill.
• Boosting self-esteem. Talk about a great way to boost a child’s self-esteem and confidence. Let them get creative in the kitchen and then praise them for it
• Remember, cooking with kids doesn’t mean you have to cook a four course meal or a fancy dessert with them. Keep it simple. The more they can do by themselves the better.

What tips and idea do you have for cooking with your kids? We’d love to hear your experiences.

If it seems like nowadays there’s someone in every school classrooms with a food allergy, that’s because almost 1 in 12 kids today have food allergies – and 1 in 32 have serious food allergies, serious enough to have already caused the child to have symptoms like trouble breathing, a drop in blood pressure, or shock, according to a 2011 study of almost 40,000 US households.

Peanuts, milk, and shellfish were the top three foods kids were allergic to at any age. Milk was number one from birth to age 2, peanuts from 3 to 13 years old, and shellfish beyond the 14th birthday. Rounding out the top nine allergic foods throughout childhood, in order, were tree nuts, eggs, fish, strawberries, wheat, and soy.

More than half of those who were allergic to peanuts or tree nuts had experienced a severe reaction. Severe reactions were also found in more than 40% of those allergic to shellfish, soy, or fish. Among the top allergy foods, strawberries were the least likely to have triggered a severe reaction – but it still happened in 1 in 5 strawberry-allergic kids.

Other new findings: peanuts and fish both caused allergies in more kids than previously reported. And among kids allergic to any food, more than 30% had multiple food allergies. As one might guess, those with multiple food allergies were even more likely to have had a severe reaction (makes sense, but not demonstrated before).

Allergies can come and go. Food allergies were common in children of every age, but most common from age 3 to 5. Severe food allergies, on the other hand, got more common with age and were more than twice as likely in kids 14 and over than in those 2 and under.

Gupta RS, Springston EE, Warrier MR, Smith B, Kumar R, Pongracic J, and Holl JL. “The Prevalence, Severity, and Distribution of Childhood Food Allergy in the United States.” Pediatrics. Jul 2011; 128(1):e9-17.

The Food Pyramid: Gone and NOT missed! On June 1, 2011 I logged on to MyPyramid.gov for kids and played their Blast Off Game “An interactive computer game where kids can reach Planet Power by fueling their rocket with food and physical activity.” I registered as Alan, an 11-year-old boy. The results were slightly less horrifying than when I did this in 2006 (and reported my findings). But just barely.

When you launch the game, you’re invited to select food items and physical activity for the day from a list that varies occasionally if you play several times. When you’re satisfied with your choices, press the Blast Off button and the game will analyze your diet to see whether it would give your body the optimal fuel to complete your journey.

My Breakfast

To start the day I chose chocolate sugar cereal. Because the nonfat milk it came with seemed rather bland, I added a cup of chocolate milk to go with it. At this point an alert popped up, but perhaps not the alert you’d expect after a junk food breakfast with a double dose of sugary chocolate:

“STAR PILOT! It’s clear you know your facts. You’ve chosen 2 low-fat/fat-free foods. Great job!”

I was still hungry, so I added a white bread English muffin to my white flour and sugar breakfast.

My Lunch

At school I selected a Sloppy Joe sandwich on a white bun and received a 3-star alert, but again it might not be what you’d expect:

“Well Done! You have enough Grains!”

My Sloppy Joe seemed like it was missing something, so I added French Fries (deep fried). My meal still didn’t seem complete, so I added a second order of French Fries (deep fried). I was feeling a little guilty at this, so wasn’t surprised when an alert popped up – but was surprised at what it said:

“Well done! You have enough Vegetables!”

My lunch was missing something sweet, though, so I grabbed a glass of apple juice. Lo and behold, another alert:

“STAR PILOT! You just grabbed a 100% Fruit Juice. Good job!”

Being called a STAR PILOT is nice, so I went back and added some apple juice to my breakfast and chose apple juice for my afternoon snack, along with a glass of milk. I did receive an alert that whole or cut-up fruit is even better than fruit juice, the best advice I’d gotten so far. For physical activity I did some household chores. I set the table, I emptied the dishwasher, I made my bed, I put away some of my stuff. It seemed like it took an hour, but never got my heart pumping.

My Dinner

It’s been a long day! I chose fried chicken for dinner. This time I got TWO alerts. One suggested that more of my grain choices should be whole grains. I hadn’t expected fried chicken to prompt a grain alert, but I’m glad it did. This alert was one of two improvements I’ve seen in the 2011 version (the other is a much broader selection of healthy foods that a child could select. Kudos for that.). I also got another 3-star alert, this one expected given my Sloppy Joe and fried chicken:

“Well Done! You have enough Meats and Beans!”

Still, something seemed like it was missing from my dinner – from my whole day, really. And I knew just what it was: gravy! So I added an order of gravy for my fried chicken. That sounded so tasty that I chose a second order of gravy as well.

Ready for the Test

I was feeling stuffed, so it seemed like time to push the Blast Off button and have my diet analyzed. My food all tasted great, but I was a bit nervous about what they would suggest I change. How was my fuel? The big moment arrived. Mission Report Received! From Mission Control to Astronaut Alan:

• Grains: Congratulations! You reached optimal levels. (Remember my “optimal” grains? Refined grain sugar cereal, white bread English muffin, white bun. Not a single whole grain.)
• Fruits: Congratulations! You reached optimal levels. (Remember my “optimal” fruits? Apple juice. 4 servings.) ƒ
• Milk: Congratulations! You reached optimal levels. (I didn’t know sugary cereal with chocolate milk was optimal!)
• Meats and Beans: Congratulations! You reached optimal levels. (Sloppy Joe and fried chicken)
• Vegetables: Congratulations! You reached optimal levels. (WHAT??? I don’t remember any vegetables. Oh. Right. Two orders of French fries, and I think there were some chunks in the Sloppy Joe mix.)
• Activity: Congratulations! You reached optimal levels. (And I thought I had to run or dance or jump or do sports or play hard or get outside. I’m glad setting the table counts.)

“Based on your food choices the MyPyramid rocket ship landed on Planet Power. Everyone at Mission Control is very pleased with your fueling choices.”

My food choices made them happy. And to top it all off, I won a certificate! MyPyramid Mission Control Certificate of Commendation to Junior Astronaut Alan for piloting the MyPyramid rocket ship successfully to Planet Power by making healthy food and physical activity choices.

And that is why…

And that is the story of how I came to hate the food pyramid and why I am celebrating its demise. Viva la Plate!

Could this get any worse? See Part 2 of Alan’s Nightmare Food Pyramid Journey.

Alan’s Full Menu from his Nightmare Food Pyramid Journey

Sitting together around the table to eat together just three times per week reduces the odds that kids will be overweight, reduces the odds of their eating unhealthy foods or eating in an unhealthy way, and increases the odds of eating healthy foods, according to a study in the June, 2011 Pediatrics. This study pooled the results of seventeen previous studies involving 182,836 children. Some of these studies have shown significant benefit from seven or more meals together a week – or even five or more – going well beyond measures of diet and weight, to include school performance, mood, and risky behavior.

Taken together, the studies show that even a more modest number of family meals each week is linked to an overall decrease in soda, fast food, fried food, and candy and other sweets throughout the week. Meanwhile, these same kids were more likely to eat fruits and vegetables. It’s no surprise that they would also have a healthier weight overall.

The current study demonstrates the connection between family meals, healthier eating, and healthier weight – but can’t show which causes which. Previous studies have done that. The more data I see, the more I become convinced, one of the best things we can do for our kids is to share meals with them, around a table, in a home – and especially meals they had a hand in preparing.

And cleaning up after.

Hammons, AJ and Fiese BH. “Is Frequency of Shared Family Meals Related to the Nutritional Health of Children and Adolescents?” Pediatrics. June 2011;  127(6):e1-10.

Some of our children’s food choices are made at home – but as they grow, many are made in childcare or at school. We need our schools and daycare centers to be working with us, not against us in teaching children to enjoy healthy amounts of good food, cultivating Nutritional Intelligence.

About half of all middle schools and high schools in the US permit advertising of candy, fast-food restaurants, and/or sodas at school! This practice is most common in Ohio (nearly 70 percent of schools) and least common in New York (24 percent).

Does advertising affect our kids’ food choices? Of course it does! And in more ways that you might think. The Institute of Medicine has found that advertising to children affects their preferences, purchases, and consumption – changing their habits for different food and beverage categories, in addition to specific product brands.

Some estimate that each year, nationwide, for every dollar spent on promoting junk food to our children only about 1/10 of a penny is spent promoting healthy food. Schools are one place where the opposite should be true. At least.

CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) Children’s Food Environment State Indicator Report, 2011.

IOM (Institute of Medicine). 2005. Food Marketing to Children and Youth: Threat or Opportunity? Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

Yale Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity. “Fast Food FACTS: Evaluating Fast Food Nutrition and Marketing to Youth.” November, 2010

Every Child Deserves Fresh Fruits and Vegetables: The Great American Salad Bar Project

Frequently when I talk to groups about how to get their kids to enjoy food that’s good for them, I talk about the smell, taste and feel of the rich, round, red tomatoes that parents all over the world grow in their backyards (watch my short video, The Tomato Theory). I tell parents that one of the best ways to encourage their kids to enjoy fruits and vegetables is to engage them in preparation and serving – as far upstream in the process as possible. Let them help water the seedlings, gently pull the fruit from the vine, carefully slice the veggies for the salad and artfully create a colorful salad for the dinner table. The more children participate in the process, the more willing they will be to discover the fresh tastes (and nutrients!) that await them.

In a perfect world, all children would have access to the wonders of a family garden, and all parents would have enough time to help them discover it. But in today’s hectic world, not only do many backyards lack gardens – some kids rarely see fresh foods and healthy grains on their plates at all! More than 30 million children rely on the National School Lunch Program every school day, and the food that’s served in many school cafeterias is as far away from “garden fresh” as you can get – nachos, pizza, French fries and other high-fat, low-nutrition fast food staples.

That’s why I’m bursting with pride to be the vice president of a nonprofit organization that is launching the Lunchbox Project and the Great American Salad Bar Project. We’re working toward a healthy salad bar in every school across America so all kids have access to fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains and healthy proteins every school day.

Between now and November, schools that are ready to seek to make real, healthy changes to their school cafeterias can apply for one of 300 grants. Each grant recipient will receive the equipment and training they need to set up their salad bars. Whole Foods Market has already raised close to $9 million so far with the goal of sponsoring salad bars in every community their stores serve.

My friend Chef Ann Cooper is the founder of the Food, Family, Farming Foundation, and I’m proud to be on the team that makes her dream a reality and helps bring flavorful, fresh food to our children’s tables. When you hear students say things like, “Looking across the vast salad bar options was like looking at an artist’s palate,” you know this project will teach kids to appreciate the beauty and nutrition of fresh, healthy food.

Take Action!

• Does your child’s school need a salad bar?   You need to click here to share the information with school leaders to apply for a grant.
• How’s your lunch box? Check out The Lunch Box online toolkits with Healthy Tools for All Schools to transform your school food into healthy and delicious meals for your kids.