Pizza Night! Treats! Balance!

By: Holly L. Goroff MS, RD, CDN

Part of teaching and living in balance is replacing the terms ‘good’ and ‘bad’ with ‘anytime’ and ‘sometimes’. The objective is to stop polarizing foods and show how to enjoy the less nutritious but tasty foods like pizza and mac and cheese without feeling like you were ‘bad’ or ‘cheating’. Polarizing food can cause a ‘binge-purge’ effect. For example, if someone says cookies are bad and never has them in the house, then one day, buys a box and finishes the whole thing in one sitting - they binged. Why? Because this was - in effect- their chance!  Go big or go home! Right? No! Instead, it’s important for this person to prove to themselves that they can have one or two cookies and put the rest away.   It’s easy with the right perspective.  Harder when you’re relying on willpower - we can talk about that in another blog.

It’s also important to intentionally show a family how to balance the nutritional and social elements of meals. For example if you never, or even almost never, allow your child to have ‘junk’ food or treat foods, when they go to their friends birthday party, you can bet they are going to over indulge in the pizza and treats because it’s their only chance! You can help prevent that reflex by not making it the ‘forbidden…food’.

This can be done by scheduling a ‘treat food night’ and letting the children have a say in the treat food. Add a healthy side to show that even for treat foods, a healthy element should be added for a more fulfilled feeling and health benefits. A good example for families is when you have a pizza night, add a salad. Or when you have burgers, swap out French fries for corn on the cob or a baked potato.

Here are a few tips to help children embrace healthier meal options:

1. Get creative for both you and your children with healthy meals: No need to have grilled chicken salad every night. Learn how to make easy, healthier versions of your favorite meals by using healthy fats to increase fullness and practice portion control.
2. Try different preparations: Instead of steaming, try roasting or sautéing vegetables with garlic and olive  oil. Flavors change palatability. 
3. Involve children in choosing or preparing the meal: Let them look at the cookbook with you and make a list of what you will need to purchase at the store. Have them help you find those items when shopping and teach them little facts about each product.
4. Make a balanced meal: Include a protein, carbohydrate, healthy fat and a vegetable or two.  That way if they legitimately don’t like something they have other options. 
5. Involve them in planning the treats: See what treats they pick out. This can be both educational and eye opening for parents as you’d be surprised what children consider a treat.
6. Make the plate look fun: Use a variety of bright and colorful produce since colors appeal to children. You can also cut their meals into fun shapes and make faces with the food. My friend once made a ravioli dish look like a spider web using strips of peppers! How cool is that!?
7. The “Polite Bite”: I can’t take credit for this one, but again I learned this from a seasoned mom. The rule is that everything made requires at least a bite (or at least taste). The child is free to not like it and will not be forced to eat it, but they are required to taste it to be polite and will be reminded that this IS dinner.  

What are your suggestions for involving children in eating healthy meals? Do you have rules like the “polite bite”?

About the Author: Holly is an experienced dietitian in both clinical and community nutrition. She is currently serving as the Clinical Nutrition Manager at now guest blogger for Choosy Kids!

She received her Master of Science degree in Nutrition and Food Studies from the Steinhardt School at New York University. She is published through her research and contributing work at Burke Rehabilitation Center investigating nutritional factors impacting neurological rehabilitation in stroke patients.

In addition to managing her staff of clinical nutritionists, she has a passion for serving at-need and underserved communities. She teaches outreach programs focused on mindful eating and strategies to make healthier lifestyle choices to at-risk community populations. She has recently been made lead in her hospital for teaching and managing the outreach classes to reduce childhood obesity.

She has expertise in: weight loss and management, heart disease, stroke, diabetes, dealing with polypharmacy and achieving nutrition goals, achieving wellness goals in a creative and resourceful manner and motivating change.

10 Unique Foods My Toddler Eats!

By: Christine Cox (aka - The Choosy Mommy)

Many toddlers are what parents call picky eaters but I like to refer to my daughter as a choosy eater. Ever since I introduced her to Choosy, she now tells me to be choosy about what I eat. Some days it backfires (I really wanted that cookie the other day) and other days it is a nice reminder. But let’s be real…whether she is picky or choosy, she is still deciding what her and I eat…mostly her.

There are many times where I put food on her plate and she won’t touch it. But there are more times that she sees something that her dad is eating and she wants to try it. I will tell you that she has my husband’s pallet in that she prefers salty, spicy and sour over sweet. I love my sweets! So at least she knows who will lead her to the foods that she will love….DADDY!

Which leads me to my discussion about ten unique foods that my toddler eats. Maybe your child has unique tastes too? This is no way means your toddler HASN’T tried these foods, but these are just some things that my husband and I are really surprised that she likes. I’ve noticed that when I say I like something, she does become more open to trying, so maybe give this new Choosy Kids song, Yum Yum Yummy, a listen and sing it when trying something new!

1. Green Olives – This one isn’t so weird in that I do know some kids that like olives but she will just eat them as a snack. I HATE olives, no matter the color, but her dad also loves them.
2. Banana Peppers – Another snack food that her and her dad share a love for. The smell…uhg, it gets me every time but she loves them!
3. Wasabi Peas – Now this one really threw me for a loop. Daddy was eating them one evening and she decided to give one a try. At first I was a bit nervous because I figured, whoa, too spicy, but she ended up eating a handful (not at one time!)
4. Oil and Vinegar dressing on Sweet Butter lettuce – Otherwise known as ensalada verde in our family. This is a gem as it is a pretty low calorie dressing. It is a so simple in that you just sprinkle some extra virgin olive oil and white wine vinegar over your lettuce. A little salt to taste.
5. Pickled Cauliflower – This was a shocker to myself when my toddler came home from Grandma’s with this new favorite!
6. Frozen Waffles – This one might not be so different, but at least we aren’t drenching the waffle in butter and syrup. Just a plain, frozen waffle!
7. Soy Sauce – She loves rice and won-ton soup, but give her a dish of soy sauce and she’ll dip anything in it to try!
8. Pepperoni – Again, maybe not so different but many toddlers find this to be too spicy.
9. Green Onions – She will dip her green onions in salt and eat 3 or 4 of them!!
10. Tuna – I just mix a can of tuna with mayo and onion and make a sandwich out of it. She’s loved this for as long as I can remember.

Let me know if your child has tried or even likes any of these foods. Please post if you have a food you think my toddler would love. We are always willing to try new things (well, daddy will have to try it first I suppose).

About the Author: Christine Cox is the blog master and Choosy Mommy for Choosy Kids. She has always had a passion for writing and is honored to contribute her work to this blog. Most of her writing inspiration comes from her daughter, Capri, who is fun-loving and full of energy. Click here to learn more about Christine.

5 Tips for Healthier Eating During the Holidays

By: Heather Dyson

This is the time of year when life, especially with kids, gets pretty hectic. Halloween starts off the fall into winter celebrations in what feels like a whirlwind of parties, shopping and cooking. While these traditions are fun and exciting, they tend to revolve around food, most of which are not very healthy. Sometimes parents feel like it is OK to indulge their children on holidays, but it can easily become excessive, which can have a lasting effect on kids’ health. Many schools and child care centers hold parties filled with sweet treats and sugary drinks. Add that to the candy little ones bring home from parties and trick or treating, and a holiday treat soon becomes days or a weeks’ worth of sugary snacks.

The American Heart Association recommends that preschool aged children should consume no more than 4 teaspoons, or about 16 grams of added sugar per day (this includes sugar added to sweet foods, cereals, breads, crackers, yogurt, condiments, etc.) Unfortunately, studies show that children ages 1-3 consume as much as 12 teaspoons, or 48 grams, of added sugar per day!

Below are some tips for keeping your kids healthier during the holidays:

1) Offer to bring small bottled waters and cute fruit to parties. Here are some fun ideas for Thanksgiving and the winter holidays (Idea 1 and Idea 2).

2) Pack treat bags with fun non-food items and only one small treat.

3) Let children choose their favorite treats from parties and trick or treat to keep in a small Ziploc baggie and donate the rest. Let your child choose one small treat a day from bag and keep it in cupboard that is out of sight.

4) Invite the “Switch Witch” over after Halloween or Holiday parties.

5) Choose one of your family’s favorite cookie or dessert recipes to make for each holiday instead of making several varieties and freeze leftovers.

Holidays are special occasions that we all cherish, and seem even more special when you have a little one to celebrate with you! Focus on spending quality time with family and friends by making crafts, reading books and playing games with a holiday theme rather than focusing on food. A little indulgence is totally fine but by staying mindful and planning ahead, you and your wee ones can stay healthy throughout the holidays!

What are some ways that you keep your kids healthy during the holidays when making food and treat choices?

About the Author: Heather Dyson is a Licensed and Registered Dietitian who currently focuses on counseling patients with a variety of health situations, and in ages ranging from infancy to elderly. Click here to learn more about Heather.