You Can’t Always Control Your Kids’ Diet

I want my kids to have the best chance in life by giving them the healthiest diet I can provide. Furthermore whatever this diet it is I also want them to like it. I know that kids need to eat the right stuff to grow up slender, smart and emotionally well off. However sometimes children have other ideas. Sometimes they want to eat food that is unhealthy for them because: 

-They have seen an advertisement on television for a food they find absolutely irresistible.

-Their peers at school put pressure on them to eat in the cafeteria or pay for lunch because it is more 'adult-like'

– it's just not cool to carry a brown bagged lunch.-Some foods are considered uncool (especially cut up vegetables) because the kids seem them as symbols that you are poor.

-They are already so addicted to sugar and carbohydrates they simply have no taste for healthy things. Some of these bad eating habits are in your control and others aren't. It is hard to hand your child a salmon and lettuce  sandwich when their head is filled with visions of sizzling Big Macs slathered with white sauce or exploding microwave Pizza Pops.  This kind of eating you can discourage even if your child is protesting the whole time. Here are some examples of situations where you may not be able to control what your child or adolescent is eating. 

-You are at a restaurant and healthy foods are just not available on a menu.-Your kid is subject to a lot of peer pressure from friends (this is especially true of adolescents in high school who will choose that fat laden chocolate milk shake or glass of Coca Cola with 14 tablespoons of sugar in it rather than an orange at lunch

-Your child is having dinner or lunch at the neighbours and you have no idea what's being served, how it is made or how healthy it is. 

I am not suggesting that you be a control freak and try and correct the above situations. I am merely pointing out what you can't change. 

However you do have more control over your kids eating habits at home.  Keep in mind that people don't like change and the more that you try to make these healthy foods a regular item on your menu the more likely you are to be called a control freak by your kids or husband. I bring up the matter of being a control freak because your neighbours, mother or husband may accuse you of it as you subtly try to sneak in more fruits, vegetables, grains and healthy grilled foods into their diet and somehow make it seem like a bad thing. This is because women, in particular tend to be very neurotic..

Even I sometimes wonder whether all of this neurotic obsessing with food is simply an extension of women obsessing over their own dietary intake.  Sometimes women control their kids when they can't control themselves.  God knows I don't want to be one of those but I do want them to eat in a healthy way.

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Keep Kids Hydrated with Popsicles

Keep Kids Hydrated With Popsicles

Sometimes I worry that I can't get my kids to consume what should be about four or five glasses of water a day. Keeping hydrated is just as important for little bodies as it is adults. This is especially important to think about in the near future as scientists are predicting one of the hottest summers on record this year.

It's hard for adults to sit there and drink their full eight glasses of day so how do you convince a fussy toddler or 'busy' six year old to drink up to five or six glasses a day. Then it occurred to me that the answer is probably – popsicles.

My kids love popsicles and the more brightly colored they are, the better!

Of course, not just any Popsicle will do here. It has to be made from more than just sugar and water like the commercial popsicles are. They have to be nutritious.

One of the most nutritious popsicles I could think of would be ones made with fruit juice and milk swirled together to make a healthy version of a Creamsicle. Of course there are also all kinds of vitamin enriched juices on the market that make a delicious homemade Popsicle as well. An interesting idea might be to try making popsicles with vitamin enriched waters, which are also now readily available in supermarkets.

On super hot days you can prevent your child from become dehydrated by making frozen treats out of Gatorade. Making old fashioned home made lemonade and adding a dash of salt to it can also help your child from becoming overheated and also supply a generous dose of Vitamin C.

Almost no kid can resist a homemade frozen treat that is made with Jello. The great thing about Jello powder is that it is not too sweet and that you can use less than the package indicated to make those brightly colored popsicles that children find so attractive. You can also make delicious low fat popsicles using the chocolate Jello powder. They will be especially nourishing if you use whole milk.

You can buy all kinds of plastic molds that can be used to make your own popsicles at places like Wal-Mart or Zellers and sometimes you can even get them in a grocery store. The key is to get a durable set that is not made of plastic that is too soft because kids love to chew on the 'stems' of the Popsicle handles. Try to get the kind that has a handle with a large beveled bowl where the Popsicle attaches to the stick to prevent drips. Wooden Popsicle sticks are not such a hot idea as littler kids like to chew on them and this can cause splintering and possible injury to the tongue.

Not that this tip has much to do with hydration but while we are on the topic of frozen treats, a frozen banana is a healthy treat to give a toddler. Not only is it nutritious but also gnawing on it can ease the pain of teeth that are coming in.

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