Healthy Family, Happy Family (7 page)
Read Healthy Family, Happy Family Online
Authors: Karen Fischer
Tags: #Health & Fitness/Food Content Guides
Yesterday I made two mistakes even before 8a.m. I chopped up a carrot for my nine-year-old daughter’s lunch box and discussed how she would like it to be prepared (mistake number 1: don’t ask how their food should be prepared). Ayva wanted the carrot cut into two thick sticks and I made the unforgivable error of cutting it into three (mistake number 2). She screamed so much you would have thought I had just beheaded Troy from
High School Musical.
She point blank refused to let me put the carrots into her lunch box. Then I mentioned the Wishing Plate. I said, ‘Hey, why don’t I pop them briefly onto the Wishing Plate, then you can make a silent wish as you eat them at school?’ Her serious face uncrumpled and broke into a smirk, and the carrots became a prized addition to her lunch box.
Buy a small decorative plate that is attractive and suitable to use as a Wishing Plate. This plate should be treated as though it is special and not used for anything else. Wash the plate in hot soapy water before initial use. Let your family know the Wishing Plate rules:
• When you first bring home your Wishing Plate give it a silent blessing. This can be whispered. Repeat these words: ‘Thankyou for our Wishing Plate. We will treasure it and respect the rules.’
• Use the plate once a day.
• Only place fresh, living foods such as fruits and vegetables onto the plate. If the food has anything artificial in it or if it’s processed, the plate won’t recognise it and the wishes can’t be granted.
• You cannot refill the plate once you have placed food onto it, until the next day.
• The Wishing Plate is ideal for children aged between two and thirteen. If you have a tricky teen, you can still call it the Wishing Plate, but you don’t have to go into detail about making a wish. Casually mention what the plate is ‘traditionally’ used for and just use it as a snack plate. Be seen eating from this plate every day...
I found a wishing plate at a discount shop—it was a lovely Christmas plate with a decorative tree on it and the words ‘We wish you a Merry Christmas’. One of the first wishes my daughter made was for a computer of her own for Christmas. I cringed as I thought this would never happen. A week later my computer, which had been running roughly for about three months, started dying and I had to quickly borrow a computer to complete the writing of this book. My daughter claimed my old computer, which still works if no attachments are connected to it. She attributes this sudden good fortune to the Wishing Plate, of course, and she continues to hog the vegetables served on it each day.
Don’t become slack—keep on marketing healthy foods to your child. Studies show the marketing effect wears off after time so you need to keep talking to your child about healthy foods on a regular basis. This is why this chapter gives you plenty of healthy ways to get your child eating vegies and other nutritious foods, not just one.
1. Be seen eating healthy foods. A study published in the
Journal of Human Nutrition & Dietetics
revealed that children are more likely to eat fruit and vegetables if they see their parents enjoying these foods on a daily basis. So grab that carrot stick off the Wishing Plate and say ‘Mmm...’[1]
2. Dine at the dinner table. Eating regular meals at the family dinner table is one of the easiest ways to get your child enjoying healthy foods. It increases their intake of dark leafy greens and other vegetables and they’re more likely to continue these healthy eating patterns when they pack their bags and leave home for college.[2] They’re also less likely to fill up on unhealthy items such as soft drink.[3] Dining at the dinner table can also have some surprising positive effects on your child: It could bump up your child’s school results and decrease their risk of being a substance abuser according to researchers from the National Center on Addiction and Substance abuse (CASA), at Columbia University in the United States. They found that teenagers who consume fewer than three dinners each week with their family, more than double their chances of doing poorly at school.[4] Not eating at the dinner table also means your adolescent is more than four times likelier to become a cigarette smoker. And there is a two and a half times greater chance they’ll drink alcohol. Not scared yet? Twelve- and thirteen-year-olds who have infrequent family dinners seated together are six times more likely to experiment with marijuana.[5] Something as basic as serving dinner at the dinner table could not only increase your child’s chances of eating fruits and vegetables, it could also help them make wiser lifestyle choices in future. Why? Maybe table talk helps them to feel loved and understood so they don’t seek unhealthy ways to get that ‘okay’ feeling outside the family home. Don’t forget the power of table talk.
3.
Switch off the television during meals. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, Australians watch an average of three hours of television per day.[6] That’s 1095 hours each year, and if you live to 65 you will have spent more than six years of your adult life sitting in front of the box. Studies show that children who eat while watching TV are less likely to feast on fruits and vegetables.[7] They’re more likely to want junk food, which means they risk being in the firing line of fat taunts in the playground if they become overweight. You don’t have to drop the plasma into the dumpster, however. Just turn off the telly during tucker time. Then sit around the dinner table so you can promote the peas and chat about your child’s favourite hobbies.
4. Tell them about healthy foods. According to a study conducted with six- to twelve-year-olds, basic health education—being told how much they should be eating and why—influences a child’s eating habits.[8] So talk about healthy foods with your child, give them some facts about how much wholegrains to eat and how many vegies they should have daily. (See Chapter 1, ‘Nutrition in a nutshell’ for all the handy nutrition facts.)
5. Make it fun. In one UK study, children from three primary schools in England and Wales were observed and their fruit and vegetable intakes measured. Then for sixteen days the children watched a video showing fun cartoon characters enjoying fruit and vegetables. When the children ate some fruit or vegetables they were rewarded with a sticker. If they ate the whole serving, they got a bigger reward such as a pen. The parents of the children also recorded how much fruit and vegetables was consumed at home during this time. And guess what? The kids hoed into the leafy stuff—all because they had been educated and rewarded for their efforts. Children aged between four and seven years ate 153 grams (51⁄2oz) more fruit and vegetables (the equivalent of 2.54 portions) than before the education and reward part of the study. The seven- to eleven-year-olds had a further 131 grams (4 1⁄2oz/2.18 portions) each day, including salads and cooked vegetables.[9]
Kids love rewards and you can use tools such as My Reward Chart to promote healthy eating, the fun way. You don’t need to reward them with every mouthful, however (let’s not go nuts). Make a reward chart where they have to eat a new food ten times before they get a reward, such as a diary, small toy or fun family activity.
6.
Keep marketing healthy foods to your child. The study conducted with the primary school children from England and Wales also revealed that once the classroom marketing of healthy food ceased, the children ate fewer fruits and vegetables.[10] This may be why junk food manufacturers continue to advertise daily—because they know that the marketing effect wears off eventually. It’s a case of out of sight, out of mind. So you need to be consistent. Talk to your child on a regular basis about the grand benefits of vegetables, wholegrains and that fruit salad you’ve lobbed into their lunch box.
7. According to a study published in the
Archives of Pediatric & Adolescent Medicine,
preschoolers prefer the taste of carrots when packaged in a McDonald’s bag. The ‘brandless’ carrots just didn’t taste as good. Neither did the brand-free French fries, hamburger and chicken nuggets, even though they were genuine McDonald’s products simply served in a plain bag without the big ‘m’ present.[11] However, don’t start serving cucumbers draped in corporate logos. Simply be aware that marketing works and take the time to market your meals to your family. Talk up the fresh ingredients and make positive comments about the flavours. ‘Wow, that’s the best tasting carrot
ever.
’
8. A US experiment found that even a single exposure to a TV advertisement influenced preschool children’s brand preference.[12] And the foods they’re lunching on are more likely to be the same ones frequently advertised on television.[13] This is great news for advertisers but not so good for us. To counteract this influence, take the time to talk to your child about fruits, vegetables, fish and wholegrains.
If you’re not already gathering around the dinner table for your nightly meal, then you might want to make it the new family tradition. I know when I first suggested this to my family they groaned in protest. If this occurs, you can suggest: ‘It could be a great family tradition, like when we sit around the dinner table on Christmas Day.’ You could do ‘Special Sundays’ when the table is decorated in a festive way. And as a peace offering, you could suggest having one or two ‘couch’ nights when it’s okay to sit elsewhere. You can also eat breakfast and some lunches together at the dinner table. If you have a baby or toddler who is a fussy eater, dining together can work wonders to improve their eating habits. This activity is suitable for all ages.
Use a potato peeler. Sometimes unpeeled fruit and vegetables can taste a little tart or feel a little tough. That’s why it’s essential to do a taste test before serving them to your child. One ‘off’ taste experience can promote an anti-apple child or a carrot catastrophe. So bite into that stick of celery. Are the stringy bits chewy? Is the apple skin tasting a little toxic? Tart carrots and tough pears needn’t spoil it for the in-season, delicious ones. Taste and then, if necessary, peel foods such as apples, pears, carrots and celery (and remove the strings). If they still taste bad you might need to cook them to improve the flavour. You can stew apples and pears. Steam the carrots and pop the celery into a casserole.
Serve vegetables with accompaniments such as dips and spreads. Your vegies may seem a bit more palatable if served with a great tasting dip. Try Hummus Dip or Parsley Pesto (see ‘Dressings, spreads and dips’) or buy a preservative-free version from your local supermarket or deli.
Try organic fruit and vegetables. Organic produce often tastes better and you can use it in a ‘taste testing’ game to encourage your child to eat well. It could be the heavyweight ‘farmers versus organic growers’ championships (especially if your child digs boxing). Using two special ‘tasting plates’, conduct an experiment with your child to see if they prefer the taste of organic versus non-organic. Rate each food out of ten and record your scores.
Wash your produce. Wash all fruit and vegetables to remove surface grime, dirt and pesticide residues. This can help them taste more pleasant. Clean your produce in a bowl of water along with 2 tablespoons of cheap white vinegar or apple cider vinegar. You can also use a soft scrubbing brush to wash hardy vegetables such as carrots, apples and zucchini.
Flavour the crappy carrots. Unfortunately you cannot usually sample fruit and vegetables while perusing the produce section of your local supermarket. So, if the vegetables you have bought are out of season, flavour-compromised or bitter, disguise them with natural flavouring. For example, flavour stir-fried vegetables with tamari sauce or pop on some Tasty Salad Dressing before serving.
Buy vinegar and a dish scrubbing brush. Then wash your fruit and vegetables thoroughly. Also remember to taste the foods you serve your child. Are the vegies pleasant? They don’t have to taste like lemon meringue pie but they should be fresh, mild and crisp. If needed, peel off the skins and/or cook them. Poach older apples and pears, steam carrots or jazz them up with fresh ingredients and marinades.
Don’t lie. Don’t be caught lying. ‘No son, we don’t have any of your favourite chocolate biscuits left,’ you say. ‘But we do have the world’s best nectarines in the fridge.’ ‘But Daaaad,’ your son replies with a drawn out whine. ‘They’re all bruised and taste yuck.’ If you want your child to stop listening to you, just tell a whole range of white lies and see what happens. Kids are rather clever and when your words don’t match the facts, they can lose faith in you. If you say ‘Eat your vegies to be strong like Daddy,’ but you’re busy scoffing chocolate in front of the TV, your words will probably be annoying rather than inspiring. If you pretend there are no frosted biscuits in the pantry and you’re later caught dipping them into your coffee while watching football on TV, then what? Your authority is tarnished. Just a little at first. However, make little white lies a habit and you could soon have a wised-up child who argues about everything and listens to nothing. This can also make a hard task of feeding them life-saving vegies and health-helping wholegrains so build an honest relationship with your child.
Don’t nag. Never nag when serving vegies. Have you noticed how junk food manufacturers never hassle us to eat their products? Nagging creates negative feelings and this can lead to stubbornness. Keep your comments positive and trust that your child will soon be eating the right foods.
Don’t ask ‘What do you want for lunch?’ Don’t ask them what they want to eat. Don’t ask them if they want carrot sticks in their lunch box. Don’t see if they want fish for dinner. Don’t inquire if they desire banana or celery or peas. While this is okay occasionally, such as when they’re having a light snack, when it comes to the family meals, don’t ask. They will probably say no or ask for more options. Just confidently put their meal in front of them and walk away.