Healthy
Eating Habits
Run in the
Family
s the old adage goes, give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime. As a registered dietitian and a mom, I’m reminded of this mantra every day. Surf the web for tips on feeding kids and you’ll find an endless litany of ways to “hide” veggies and “trick” them into eating this or that. I get it, parents love their kids and want them to be healthy. As adults we are taught that health is defined by numbers – calories, grams, pounds. So, we treat our kids like little math problems: sneak in a milligram of calcium here, and an ounce of protein there. But here’s the rub: kids only eat under our tutelage for around 18 years. And a good chunk of those meals are eaten at school, away from our clever wiles.
What if we changed the way we look at a one year old, a three-year-old, a five-year-old? Instead of thinking of them as a toddler in desperate need of kale, try to envision them buying a salad at their college cafeteria, cooking a homemade meal at age 22, or enjoying shared plates with their friends at 30. Suddenly, the techniques we employ now must change.
I am a registered dietitian, but today I want to share with you a few strategies that have nothing to do with vitamins, minerals or calories and everything to do with raising kids that appreciate great food.
A
By Tera Naset
MS, RD, CDE