Cooking for kids

I am a mom of 3 and soon to be a mom of 4.  Cooking for kids is something I do often.

While this task may seem easy to most it is not for the faint of heart. Each of my children has a unique set of taste buds that are ever changing.

My 1.5-year-old eats anything and everything. While my 2-year-old hardly eats anything unless it is sweet. May I add that this is due to dad sharing his SADD diet treats with them. My husband is my 5th child. He does not have one healthy bone in his body. This is another challenge for me to keep my kids focused on the good wholesome foods that are best for optimal nutrition.  This is not to say I do not allow them to eat a little junk food occasionally. I do not believe in keeping them from life’s indulgences. I feel that would just create more of a desire to want those foods and could create very unhealthy food habits in the future.

My 7-year-old is exploring new flavors but stays within her boundaries. She has become more accustomed to trying new foods. I have modeled good eating habits on all my children, and I can see the “fruits” of my labor starting to pay off. No pun intended!

As a mother I want what is best for my children and that includes what they put into their little growing bodies. I am learning, as well as teaching my children, how to eat healthily. I am teaching my children that healthy food can taste good. This is something they can take with them for life and instruct their children. Eating healthy is a lifestyle. What we put in our bodies is important. I was not taught the importance of healthy eating as a child and did not learn about healthy eating until my teen years.

One of the challenges I have overcome, cooking for my children is forced feeding. I used to get so upset if they would not eat something that I knew they liked up until yesterday. While today they do not like the same food. I have learned that the older ones will tell me when they are hungry. I have also learned that just offering food to them is an effective way to get them to eat. Consistency is key. They eat at about the same time every day. Snacks are regularly available for them to grab, such as cheese, yogurt, applesauce packed with hidden veggies or an organic granola/cereal bar.

I do offer new foods on occasion to try and spark my kid’s interest. I also have offered incentives for trying new foods. Some incentives include dessert and money. My goal is to encourage them to try something new, not to force them to eat foods they do not want or like. I tell them “Hey, you never know everything could be cake!” 

I usually make 3 meals a day and offer 2 snacks. I make what they like and make that as nutritionally dense as possible. I try my best to make everything from scratch and organic. There are times where if I do not make it from scratch, I will buy organic clean foods to support their favorite meals.

Some of their favorite foods include cheese pizza, oatmeal, pancakes, waffles, banana muffins, beef jerky, mac and cheese cereal, peanut butter, fettuccine alfredo, banana smoothie’s, yogurt, milk, grilled cheese, chips and salsa, quesadillas, cheese, and water to drink.

A few ways I make these favorite foods healthy are, for example when I am making them a cheese pizza, I make my pizza dough from scratch with organic bread flour, and I also use local honey to feed my yeast. I will use whole milk mozzarella or fresh mozzarella and homemade tomato sauce or a store-bought organic sauce with no sugar added. This would be a lunch or dinner meal.

*(The only reason for store bought is due to convenience.)

I buy organic fruit, milk, and yogurt which is what I use for their banana smoothies, I also add a little vanilla extract and ice. This would be something I would serve for breakfast or a snack.

I do make organic bread for their Peanut butter and grilled cheese sandwiches.

Another way to help encourage my kids to eat healthy is to have them cook in the kitchen.

This is a fantastic way to include them in the cooking process and teach them how to cook. Cooking kids can use their fine motor skills in math and problem solving. I also feel like this is another way to help them want to eat what they prepared.

I bought my oldest KID a cooking set that came in a little tackle box. It has measuring spoons and cups. An apron, a plastic chef’s knife and cutting board and a bunch of other kitchen gadgets including, a healthy recipe book. She uses this weekly.

Here is a fun recipe from her recipe book you can try with your kids.

Resources:

https://tovlajr.com/pages/savvy-kids-cookbook