Edible Conundrum

How do we get our child to eat more vegetables? (And fruit)

Most parents keep a ready supply of crackers/pretzels and chips, assorted jello's, puddings, even pop tarts, pizza pockets....something easy and quick that will silence that predictable irritating statement "I'm hungry" which happens at the most inconvenient time, usually while you're racking your brain for ideas on what to make for dinner, while driving home with a car load and a laundry list of must-dos circulating in your brain.

But what if you're a parent to a Celiac?

Sure there are pre-made gluten free options available out there, but the sugar and carb amount would make anyone gag, and as a mom concerned to promote a healthy lifestyle I'm against the mainstream gluten-free trend and the food that is a result of it.

There are cute and simple tips out there in the land of the web, suggestions to get kids eating their veggies. Some written by moms like myself, some written by people who just want humanity to eat better. Things like portion size, cutting cute shapes, adding bacon to everything, the list goes on. I'm here to tell you there's no foolproof way, but here are a few tricks I've learned over the last 13 years I've been a Momma to 5 Celiac children.

1. Buy local.

Nothing will entice a child more to try something new than going to a Farmers Market and purchasing produce they've chosen themselves. If you don't have a Farmers Market nearby, the grocery store will do, but the point is to get kids involved in the process of knowing where their food comes from, and being excited to try what they are curious about.

2. Have pre-cut and easily washable veggies on hand.

I usually have a container of carrots and celery already washed and chopped up ready to eat, they keep great in cold water in the fridge. Grape tomatoes are a favourite treat, and if I sense the kids are feeling munchy I'll even slice up cucumber and set it out, whether they eat it as they pass by or sit and devour the entire plate, the point is they ate their greens. I do not buy those mini-carrots as they are washed in a bleach solution, and it is way cheaper albeit labour intensive, to buy produce and peel them yourself.

3. Dip dip dip!

Make different flavours of dips for the kids to try. Get them involved picking a different Country theme. One of our favourites is Hummus, but they also enjoy a creamy (dairy free) Ranch we make as well. I also sneak into the dips Kale, Spinach and other greens that otherwise would incur wrinkled noses. My food processor is my best friend.*Smile*

This blogger has incredible ideas:5 healthy homemade dips

4. Don't buy pre-packaged snacks.

I know I know...this can't be helped most of the time, but if you're truly serious about changing your lifestyle to include more vegetables and fruit having easy go-to snacks in stock will make the transition more difficult. Your child will always choose the 'cooler' thing. (Apple sauce in a squeezy bag as opposed to eating an actual apple...the fruit bar that has a serving of veggies...V8 is good enough right?) I believe we should devour what grows off of trees and out of the ground; not the stuff modified by scientists, but real organic sustenance grown by the sweat off someone's brow. Call me a purist, but in my experience my children are rarely ill, they heal very fast if they get a scrape, and they are genuinely happy most of the time. (They're not perfect and neither am I, but comparably to other people who suffer with auto-immune disease my children have practically impenetrable immune systems.)


5. Go for a splurge

Ironic statement after my little shpeal above but we all like treats and totally denying a craving leads to binging which is seriously unhealthy over a period of time. 'Everything in moderation' are wise and applicable words. Our family has an Ice Cream night once or twice a month, where the kids choose their gf toppings and we watch them relish the cool deliciousness. The come back of real ice cream parlors has been exciting, and although it's pricier we know what actually goes into the product. It's funny that after a few years my kids crave sugar less and less, and they opt for a sliced cucumber with balsamic vinegar or dried oregano on top of a sliced pepper instead of berries.

Encouraging children to be interested in what they consume and pursuing a culinary adventure together will open the imagination and prepare palettes eager to try new things.

Have fun!