Kids Eat Free

July 26th, 2009 | Posted by Alison in Breakfast

Day Numero Four with no early morning work out. Zak gets home tonight. Hallelujah.

My morning green lemonade in a tall, tall glass.

all_glass

In the Tall, Tall Grass.

tall_tall_glass

Egads you can’t even tell how tall that glass is when it sinks into the grass! Someone write “Mow Lawn” on the to do list.

OK, OK, in truth the grass just grows really tall in that one spot and worked well for a reference to an old favorite. Don’t go calling the housing association on me just yet.

Romaine and spinach. I was out of cucumber so I took a cue from my good pal Heather and used a green pepper in its place. Plus the usual lemon, apple and ginger.

I was pleasantly surprised last night when Ava asked if she could make some overnight oats for herself as I was making mine. I’ve offered many times in the past but the offer has always been rejected. She made hers with oats, vanilla Stonyfield Farm yogurt and vanilla rice milk.

A little soupy kiddo. I’ve got a blog you should read.

pensive

She gobbled it up this morning and I thanked my lucky stars she’s never seen Lucky Charms.

Any mom has heard or read again and again that you set an example for your kids with what you do, what you say, how you act, and what you eat too. Children learn what they live.

Ava’s not a picky eater but Maxine has a very limited amount of fruit and vegetables that she’ll eat. I use to think I was doing everything right because Ava was so willing to eat fruit and vegetables. But then Maxine came along and gave me a dose of parental humility. It’s a miracle I can get her eat apples, corn and peas.

Try as I might, all I can really do is offer and keep my fingers crossed that one day she won’t say “no thank you” when I ask if she wants watermelon, strawberries, grapes, bananas and any other fruit most kids happily eat.

Hearing Ava ask to make overnight oats last night was music to my ears. It was such a good reminder that they DO eventually pick up on these things. Gotta keep on keepin’ on. Keep offering, keep letting them work in the garden with us, keep letting them pick out their own fruits and veggies in the produce section, keep having them help me cook, make juice (even if I’m the only one that drinks it), make fruit smoothies, keep the the cupboards and fridge stocked with healthy snacks. Cookies and treats have their place, gotta keep talking about moderation too.

Who else has good tips for getting your kids or kids in your life to make healthy choices? What do you do to help encourage your kids to eat the right things?

My green juice held me over for an hour or so and then I moved on to my own bowl of overnight oats… you wouldn’t even know there were chocolate overnight oats under there, buried in bananas, shredded coconut and raw almond butter.

Approx 1/2 c of rolled oats, 1/4 c of LF vanilla Stonyfield Farms yogurt, 1 tsp of cocoa powder and 1/2 c or so of chocolate unsweetened almond milk.

sun_oo

And now I think it’s about I time get off this computer and get these kids outside.


Please know that links to Amazon are affiliate links. It doesnโ€™t change the price you pay, but if you buy something from Amazon after following one of the links in my posts, I earn a percentage based commission from Amazon as a part of their affiliate program. This is one of the ways I generate revenue from the posts that I write here. I promise that I only link to items that I truly endorse. You donโ€™t ever have to buy anything, but if you do, thank you for supporting the site and the work I do here.


You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 Both comments and pings are currently closed.

13 Responses

  • runcaitrun says:

    Oh my gosh, yum. I have to tell you, you have one of my favorite blogs to look at when it comes to food and getting ideas. They are so practical yet delicious. And I just adore the pictures of your kids. I really admire the healthy outlook you are giving your kids at a young age so that hopefully they can instill that for a lifetime!

    Hope you are enjoying your weekend!

  • Erin says:

    Allison, I think the way you teach your girls about food and a healthy lifestyle is fantastic. I went to a workshop on food/body issues a few weeks ago and there were SO many women (almost all of them) who had food issues develop based on something their parents (especially mothers) continued to do or say over the years; even if it was never directed at the person, it was still very absorbed.

    I had a weight problem post puberty and into young adulthood, but was lucky enough to have parents that were both very active and had healthy lifestyles towards food and exercise – they just encouraged me to be healthier. I’m pretty sure the day I asked my dad if he wanted to run a 5K with me was music to HIS ears!! I don’t have kids yet, but when I do, I hope to have your approach to healthy living, eating, and being! Your girls will SO appreciate the way you’ve raised them once they realize how lucky they had it :)

  • Oats look great. Amazing that she is asking for them already!! Great habits start young…

  • tiponz says:

    that is great that you got your daughter eating the overnight oats! I love them so so much- i cannot thank you enough haha- i have the chocolate almond milk in the house too- that may just be my next adventure! and dates are amazingggg (especially with AB or PB inside!) i think i may try that for breakfast tomorrow instead of the raisins!

  • I think you are a great example for your kids. You are so right, they look, listen and will do what works for them when they are ready to do it.

    My teenager has always eaten tons of vegetables. I eat a salad every day, so it was normal to him; he saw me eat it, so he ate it. I would get SOOOOO upset when people would make a big deal about him eating veggies right in front of him. It happened all the time.

    At the same time, I tried to incorporate some not so healthy foods in our diets. When he was born, I was still rebelling against my parents who eat only organic, most home-grown fruits & veggies, and who told me the chemicals in fast food would kill me – well, in so many words… I felt like they were extreme and somehow wanted to prove that everything in moderation is just fine. I don’t quite believe this anymore (there is so much that just isn’t good, even in moderation!) and actually see my parents’ points more and more…

    Yet, I still think I need to prepare my kids for the “real” world (and college) and there will be (most likely) junk food, and fast food, and processed food. Hopefully, they’ll balance it all out and crave a salad on most days! :)

    The toddler is not even two, and while he loves fruits and veggies, he is VERY particular about what he likes on any given day. And then he eats tons of that one particular fruit or veggie. And the next day he is on to something new… It’ll be VERY interesting to see how this all works out in the end… For now, my plan is to just have lots of healthy food around, but let him choose. But I am a bit sneaky at times and “hide” some things he is not particularly fond of at the moment… :)

  • AZLinda says:

    Now if that aint just music to my ears…err.. eyes….ha! You are a great example to your girls Alison, and such a wonderful Mama ๐Ÿ˜€

  • Kailey says:

    I love how you provide your girls with healthy options that taste fabulous!! But at the same time it seems like you never deprive them :) Your kids will thank you later in life I am sure!

    LOVE your oats too:D

  • I think you’re doing an awesome job with teaching healthy living to the girls, and you’re such a great role model for them!!

    I remember being really into McDonalds as a kid, along with cheese balls and candy…that’s all I ever really wanted. And maybe canned cream of corn or some dehydrated mashed potatoes…I was a real gourmet..haha. ๐Ÿ˜‰

    But tastebuds definitely change once kids get older. I can also remember going to farmers markets and picking out some veggies for dinner that night. Even if I hated it once we made it, at least I tried it. And eventually learned that it was actually pretty amazing. ๐Ÿ˜€

    And thats so great with the overnight oats!! Keep on truckin’…you’re doing such an awesome job of spreading healthy eating with your family and everyone else. ๐Ÿ˜€

  • i can’t wait to have kids and hear those magic words – “can i make overnight oats too?!”

  • Jennifer says:

    That’s fantastic! I think in time Max’s taste will change. Seeing Ava try things, too, may help.

    Wow….that is some tall grass. What’s your address again? (haha…just kidding)

  • Alison says:

    Thank you all for your sweet comments. Obviously nutrition for kids is an issue I hold very near and dear to my heart, thank you all for sharing your own experiences and thoughts!

  • Vegmom says:

    Yay for you teaching them such wonderful things. I love reading your posts And have come to enjoy oats since reading your posts and getting suggestions. Yum.. In fact I need to make some now for work tomorrow. :-) Thank you very much! :-)

    I always joke that mine will rebel some day, and maybe he will. But at least our health filled bundles of joy will have a good foundation. And a knowledge of the right foods to come back to if it gets to that point.

  • Cindy says:

    I think you are doing FABULOUS! just keep doing what you are doing!

    I have always let my kids cook with me and I know when your kiddo helps make that veggie pizza, he/she will also enjoy macking it down….

    my jj is adicted to my smoothies and I am hoping it’s giving him a “taste” for things like Kale, greens, and all the other veg’s in there! That and I make muffins with pureed veggies in it!

    those are just some of my “tricks” and I guess well see if it works some day!

    I will say this though! Happily my Teen is always happy for more real whole foods after some time eating away from home, much more packaged type thigns. I am a firm believer in giving our kids a taste for the good stuff and they hopefully will return to it!

    and a great example helps too!

    great job Mama!!!