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Wednesday: Mid Week Ramblings—Don’t Dummy Down Your Kids Food!
I wish I could say I came up with the saying, “Don’t Dummy Down Your Kid’s Food” but alas someone said it on one of my favorite summertime reality TV shows, The Next Food Network Star.
But ya know, it is really something I live by. I refuse to “dummy down” my kids food.
One of my favorite TV programs that I TiVo and watch late at night is Everyday Food on PBS. They just had a fantastic episode that we have already made two recipes from. It was their Kid Friendly, Mom Approved Episode, these are not the typical “kid food recipes” and we loved both.
Cereal Mix with Olive Oil and Parmesan
Cook with your kids! Introduce your children to many different foods, give them a head-start by helping them to have a developed palette.
And most importantly eat with your kids!
Judith Toews, nutritionist and co-author of “Raising Happy Healthy Weight Wise Kids” agrees. “When parents and children eat together, they’re not only more likely to enjoy a healthy variety of foods, but they’re also more likely to talk together and that makes such a difference to kids health and happiness. Families are so busy these days that sometimes a meal together means picking up something at the drive through on the way to a soccer game. If families aren’t sitting down and eating together, they’re less likely to know what’s happening with each other.”
Tags: eating with kids, mid week ramblings, wednesday
Ha! I saw this episode too! I made the parmesan mix (we loved it) and the grape jello (which my kids loved helping me with). I am so addicted to that show – forget American Idol and Grey’s Anatomy! The PBS Saturday Morning Line-up has won my heart.
Yes, the jello was a bit of work but it turned out totally yummy! I’ve been hunting for ways to take artificial food coloring out of my childrens’ diet and still keep things colorful and fun – this fit the bill perfectly. You should definitely have a go at it sometime!
My son is only 4 months old, but I plan to introduce him to the foods we eat, rather than make special “kid” food for him. I couldn’t believe the number of people who commented about my love for spicy foods (especially Indian food) when I was pregnant. They thought I’d “hurt” the baby. But Indian women have plenty of kids and they eat that food. I am hoping that my son will already like the foods we eat, since I am breastfeeding and he gets a little taste of it through that.
my daughter has nevergone for pureed foods she love spices, herbs and lots of flavor!
I never thought I would dumb down my kids food but my son is so picky…I know I do sometimes. We don’t eat hot dogs or mac and cheese but he eats more unsalted peanut butter than anyone I know.
I love cooking shows so I am going to find out when its on in the bay area.
I love talking to my son (who is 4) about why the foods we are eating are healthy. He can tell you what calcium, protein, and vitamins do to our bodies. We also talk about “good” sugar in veggies and fruits and “bad” sugar (I know…I normally don’t like good vs. bad but he has picked up on it for food) in candy. It helps him make healthier decisions!
We don’t have cable so it’s always great to find out about these shows then get the recipes on-line.
A great thought…we strive to have “together” meal times, but sometimes I am still tempted to make my daughter “kid” foods just to keep the peace. Posts like this inspire me to keep putting different foods on her plate, even if I hear “no, no!” as she pushes it away
I cannot agree more. The 1st bread I gave my son was whole wheat with the crust on. I’m happy to report that I’ve never had to cut the crusts of a sandwhich! And my daughter loves things like tamales & fried rice. On the flip side, I got pretty lazy with meals when I was pregnant and now we’re struggling with my son to get him to try new things. I highly recommend exploring a variety a foods with children from the start. And never change a food they haven’t tried just because you THINK they may not like it. I struggle with this issue with my husband. He’ll often leave the sauce off or ask my son 1st. That’s a no no in my book.
We struggle with trying new things in our family but we have a rule that you have to try it once. If you don’t like you don’t have to eat it. And I have found that after they try it about 5-10 times they usually come around and don’t mind eating it and sometimes even grow to like it. We just keep trying!!
If my 3 yo doesn’t want to try something, I tell her she just has to lick it. That way she gets a little flavor of it and maybe next time I can get her to take a small bite.
We are huge foodies and I love to have my children try tons of new foods.
I know alot of family members who are very simple in their tastes and their children won’t eat anything, like spanish rice, burritos, etc.
I think it’s a diservice not to teach your children to appreciate what the world has to offer, in all things!
I loved your comment to eat with your kids. We all know that our children learn more by our example than anything else. They will be more willing to try new things if they see you eat a variety of things as well… eat together! Such a simple concept, but so important!