Considering how often I write about food, it’s obvious that it’s important to us! I pride myself on feeding my family well and introducing them to new things on a daily basis. It’s not always easy to get my kids on board, however. If it were up to Maya, my 7-year-old, we’d eat white rice and french fries at every meal. Maura, on the other hand, is obsessed with tofu these days. Sometimes I do some crazy things to get the girls to eat…
- Become a ketchup artist. I draw things on their plates with it. Maura asks, “You drew that heart because you love me?” Of course! And she cleans her plate, practically licking every last bit of ketchup (and everything else) off of it.
- A healthy competition doesn’t hurt. “Hmm… I wonder who’s going to finish their broccoli first? Will either of you beat your daddy? No, probably not.” This works 99% of the time. But I’m sure they’ll catch on soon.
Cut their food into little pieces first, so they don’t choke as their gobbling it all down! - Revert back to babyhood. “Zoooooooooom, here comes an airplane! Open wide!” as I give them a mouthful of veggies. I get lots of giggles… and they fall for it!
- Make dinner different. I’ll let the girls eat with chopsticks, put everything on a skewer, or let them poke it themselves with toothpicks. The fun factor helps them forget that they’re eating healthy.
- Lay a guilt trip on them. “There are little kids out there somewhere who don’t have anything to eat and would LOVE this eggplant parmesan that I spent 2 hours preparing. You are so lucky to have a roof over your head and hot food on your plate.” This usually works, but I often end up feeling more guilty than they do!
Come to think of it, those techniques don’t seem that crazy. I’m sure some of you out there have better stories! One thing I don’t do is bribe the girls with dessert. While we do have a treat after dinner every now and then, I don’t think sweets should be given as a reward. But that’s a whole ‘nother story.
Ragú Asks
What crazy things do you do to get your kids to eat well? Let them dine dressed in a tutu and rain boots, or serve spaghetti in the bathtub? Ragú wants to know! They’re asking parents to share their stories on Facebook.com/Ragusauce. Some of the stories are hilarious! Just watch this video LOL:
GIVEAWAY
Enter to win a $50 American Express gift card by leaving a comment below. Tell me how you, as a parent, get your kids to eat well. Do you do anything weird or crazy? I won’t tell!
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Entry period ends Saturday, March 31st, 2012. US entries only, one person per household. Leave a separate comment per entry and a valid email address. Winner, chosen at random, has 3 days to claim their prize.
Disclosure: This post was created in connection with my appointment as an Ambassador in the Ragú® Mom’s the Word on Dinner Program. Visit www.facebook.com/ragusauce to join the conversation.
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https://twitter.com/#!/fairydancer35/status/186158598747987969
offer dessert if they eat their veggies
last tweet:
https://twitter.com/#!/cappytweet/status/186175222813167616
I don’t do anything weird, I just lead by example.
My kids eat pretty good actually, they like lots of fruits and vegetables. I make them take a bite of it and if they dont like it, they dont have to eat it.
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https://twitter.com/#!/LKARambo/status/186208578653265922
I put spinach in their brownies.
bebemiqui82(at)yahoo(dot)com
I love cooking & I’m really passionate about food. I make all of our meals by hand every day, so I make sure they eat nutritious, natural, healthy foods. Lots of fruit, veggies, whole grains, & lean meats. I introduce them to different foods & cuisines on a regular basis so they’re not limited or bored =)
I eat them so they do too! They grew up eating them and they like copying me.
I’ve done my share of silly songs and embarrassing skits to get the kids to eat their least favorite foods!
I already subscribe by email: gkaufmanss at yahoo dot com
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My family eats well by having fun during dinner.
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To get my child to eat well, I add a little bit of appropriate spices or herbs to food to make it more savory and for nutritional value, even when she was eating baby food. I just do the same for the adults and my 3 year old. She liked Medium Salsa like Daddy, and I don’t like that much spice!
I don’t do anything crazy…but I don’t make anything special for picky children either!
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I make silly faces on my daughter’s sandwiches and other meals
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I subscribe via email
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I’ve found that the more you involve kids in meal planning and prep the more likely they are to at least try new things.
I sub via Google Reader
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Thanks for the giveaway…we used to puree steamed vegetables & add to marinara sauce to get our kids to eat vegetables !
senorpiero [at] yahoo [dot] com
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I create silly games and songs.
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charity s
We shop together at the farmer’s market and cook together, so more new fruits and veggies are willingly tried. As to crazy, I have made pictures on plates with food to encourage a picky eater.
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Hide whatever it is in my “secret” corner of the fridge…they think it must be good if I’m trying to “save” it for the adults.
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i dont have any kids but for some reason i like semi burnt popcorn. lol
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