How do I get my kids to eat healthy?
This is one of the most frequently asked questions that show up in my DMs on a regular basis. What are some healthy kids snacks? I’m going to be honest with you on this topic. Getting our kids to eat healthy was definitely challenging at first. I can remember Landon doing a standoff at dinner time. He would refuse to eat, he would wiggle out of his chair and squirm under the table. It was a battle of the wills between Daddy and Landon. In the end, Daddy always won but not at the expense of a lot of tears and maybe some annoyed dagger glances from me!
In the end, I’m really glad we stuck to our guns with our meal time rules. We have kids that will try a variety of foods. Both boys have learned that trying new things can be a rewarding experience. All of our hard work has paid off because we really do not have picky eaters!
Here are our mealtime rules:
1⃣ Both boys must eat at least X amount of bites before you can leave the table.
2⃣ You have to at least have 3 bites of a new food before you decide you don’t like it.
3⃣ If you don’t finish your dinner, then your dinner is your snack or you don’t get a snack.
4⃣ We make one meal for everyone to eat. We are not a short-order cook. What is for dinner… is for dinner! The one thing we have learned over the years is that our kids do have a preference for certain veggies, starches, and meats. So, we do take into account their preferences. There are times when Bryce and I eat sweet potatoes and Landon and Matt have brown rice. It’s little things like that we tweak. But, there are not totally different meals at mealtimes.
5⃣ Matt and I have taught our kids that we sit at the table for meals, we use our utensils and we use our manners. Our kids have always wanted to travel with us, go to dinners with us- so we taught them that in order to do nice things they have to have nice manners. That has ALSO served us well!
6⃣ Lastly, as parents we lead by example. We model healthy choices and healthy habits naturally. There is a regular conversation around which food choices are the healthiest. We read nutrition labels and educate our kids on why certain foods give us energy and strength and why other food choices do not. The boys see Matt and I working out because we want to be strong and healthy and we rarely talk about losing weight.
We know that the boys will pick up whatever habits and narrative we have about food. So unless we model appropriately then they will not learn.
What habits are you modeling to your kids right now? Good and/or Bad?
I have also learned along the way to never give up on finding healthy alternatives to foods that they love.
Here are some of our favorites:
Zeek Kids Protein Bars
The picky eater protein bars, Zeek kids protein bars are a huge hit with my boys. We tried the cookie dough flavor and they downed them in like .2 seconds.
I have never been able to find a protein bar that isn’t full of sugar and carbs that both of them like. Since this is a winner, I’m 100% ordering more.
You can get 10% off your order when you use the code “10STRONGMOM” and order here: https://www.zeekbar.com/
They have two flavors out, so we are going to give the brown blast off a try for our next order!
If you try them out, let us know what you think too!
Revive Superfood smoothies
Our second favorite find of the month is Revive Superfood smoothies! The boys love that they just have to add milk to the cup and blend everything in the blender. It’s a simple and super easy way to get quality protein, clean ingredients and superfoods in my boys! Just like other kids, they crave sweets, sugary snacks and always lean towards the unhealthy options. I have learned that getting healthier foods into their bodies requires a little creativity! These smoothies are fun for them and they love that they get to drink a milkshake for either a meal or snack!
Seriously, you have to try them out! You can get 55% off your order when you use the code MELANIEMITRO55
Our favorite flavors are the Strawberry Zen, Pinalada, and coconut cream.
The one thing Matt and I try very hard to do is make eating healthy fun. We talk about the foods that you put in your body are going to help you perform better when you are playing basketball and baseball. We talk about brain fuel for school and we don’t call too much attention to food. We provide our kids with healthy options and encourage them to try new foods.
So far we have been pretty successful while still having a balance.
Feel free to hit me up at @MelanieMitro on Instagram where I share more of our daily healthy living tips and tricks as a family.
xo
Melanie Mitro