As the beginning of the school year approaches, I start thinking about school lunches and how to make them more “exciting”. I’m sure I’m not the only mom in the world who has picky eaters at home. In the far recesses of my mind, I’m always trying to remember which of my three kids likes mayo and who doesn’t. Was ham or turkey their favorite? What do you mean you don’t like peanut butter anymore?
I’ve also been amazed at the number of times I’ve heard moms tell me that their kids don’t like whole wheat bread, “oh, except for Great Har
vest’s honey whole wheat!” It truly is in a class of its own. Whole wheat can taste great. I still recall when my son was in kindergarten and one morning before school he started crying, “but Mom, we don’t have any honey whole wheat for my sandwich!” Fortunately for us, we knew where to get some more!
I’d encourage you to involve your kids in your meal planning. Give them options but give them healthy options. This way they feel like they get a choice, but at least you are steering them in the right direction. Doing this reminds me of my wallpaper story. When I was about 12, I remember my mom telling me that I could wallpaper my bedroom. I was so excited to graduate from my Holly Hobbie themed wallpaper to something a bit more mature for a pre-teen. What I didn’t catch was that it was a set-up! My mom picked out 3 wallpaper coverings that she thought that she could live with and then presented them to me as my “options”. So clever! Now I do this with my own kids and their food choices. Hey, whatever works!
Hallie’s Favorite PB Sammie
2 slices of honey wheat or cinnamon chip bread (some bakeries make cinnamon chip in a whole wheat variety in addition to the white)
Peanut butter
Nutella hazelnut spread
Banana slices
Strawberry slices
How do you encourage your kids to make healthy food choices?
