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5 a Day with the Pittsburgh Mommy Blogger
Food has always been one of my favorite parts of life. As a kid, my most prized toy was my play kitchen—stocked full of plastic food and empty egg cartons. As a grownup, my favorite pastime is visiting new restaurants. And as a parent, my favorite thing to share with my children is my love of cooking.
But the game has changed since I was young. While my parents lovingly passed down family recipes filled with heavy starches, big slabs of red meat and loads of salt and sugar, the world is different now. Obesity, diabetes and heart disease epidemics have changed the way I prepare food and the way I teach my children about nutrition.
Let’s Move Pittsburgh has been invaluable in guiding me in these efforts. More specifically, I have used the 5-2-1-0 mnemonic to remind myself that EACH DAY I should do my best to get my kids to eat five servings of fruits and vegetables. And it’s not always easy… but here are some strategies that we have used through the years.
Exposing them to a variety of fruits and vegetables at an early age.
I still remember that glorious year (from about six to 18 months) when my babies were willing to try everything I fed them. And I think I used that time wisely by introducing them to a huge variety of fruits and vegetables. Experts say this will help them appreciate these flavors later in life. We’re still keeping our fingers crossed.
Covert fruit and vegetable operations
At about two years of age, my children entered into risk aversion mode. Their palates cried out for pizza and macaroni and cheese. They would still eat fruit, but veggies invoked screams. So I bought myself a copy of “Deceptively Delicious” by Jessica Seinfeld and started using her somewhat sketchy strategy: creating vegetable purees that I could sneak into favorite dishes. Zucchini and spinach purees in marinara and pizza sauce. Butternut squash in macaroni and cheese. Cauliflower in mashed potatoes. It worked like a charm and actually tasted pretty good.
And, if all else failed, we served frozen peas or kale chips. My toddlers loved them both.
Giving them ownership of their food
When my kids got a bit more sophisticated, I helped them develop ownership of their food. We created a vertical pallet garden, where we grew herbs together. We visited local farms to pick (and gorge ourselves) on tons of fruits. We visited the year-round indoor Farmer’s Market in East Liberty where I let my kids choose the week’s produce from local farmers. We took free cooking classes at our local grocery store. And I always, ALWAYS found age-appropriate ways to get my kids in the kitchen, even if it was just to peel the garlic for me.
When they “owned” their food—through growing it or harvesting it or cooking it—they were more likely to eat it.
Giving them good choices
Finally, as my children have entered school and are even LESS likely to take my advice, I try to give them the illusion of choice in their lives. At meal, snack and homework times, I put a variety of raw fruits and veggies out—sugar snap peas, grapes, red peppers, cucumbers, cherry tomatoes—and the kids can pick which ones they want to eat. Any extra veggies go into stir fries. Extra fruit goes into smoothies.
These are just a few of the strategies we use to get our children to eat their five servings a day. And it’s definitely still a work in process, so I’d love to hear your ideas too. You can comment below. Thanks!
