 The Dad Guide To Kids Nutrition Hint: be creative and cunning. And, oh--relax. By Paige Egan (04/11/01) Food is like any other value you are trying to teach your children. Actions speak louder than words. If you eat junk food, sugary soft drinks and candy bars, your offspring will likely want to follow your lead. But if the kids see you enjoying a great salad or fresh fruit, that's going to rub off on them in a positive way. Here are some other tips on the feeding and nourishing of children. Be creative. One sure-fire way to get children to turn their noses up at what's on their plate is to tell them that it's "good for them." When necessary, hide carrots and celery in soup, grind up spinach in spaghetti sauce, slip thin slices of zucchini into lasagna. Other techniques: use vegetable toppings for pizza, hide tomato slices in grilled cheese sandwiches, and blend fruit into smoothies. Try mixing in some lettuce, avocado and cheese into your meat or bean burritos and quesadillas can include avocado and tomato plus the cheese. Take the long view. No matter what you do, toddlers and small children are simply not going to eat from every recommended food group every day in the exact quantity they're supposed to. Don't sweat it. Step back and look at what your children are eating over a period of days, or a week. Think variety, as in multi-cultural. Food is as distinct a part of a nation's culture as its language or laws. Exposing your children to other types of cuisine can lead to entertaining dinnertime discussions about different lands and people. Having tasted other types of food, they may be less picky eaters when they get older. You can also slip healthy foods into their diet this way. Let older children help with the preparation. True story: My 12-year-old daughter hates to eat zucchini when I serve it to her. But when she's allowed to help make it, she takes an interest and eats more. Of course this isn't always possible, what with time at a premium and everyone rushing in different directions. But you might try offering your children a choice: green beans or broccoli with dinner? Given some investment, kids may enjoy their food more. Dessert is not mandatory. It's easy to fall into the trap of rewarding children with dessert after they eat a good dinner. That's fine, but you don't have to do it every time. Nor does dessert always need to be a sweet; applesauce, orange slices, or yogurt are good (and good for them, too-just don't say it). Satisfy your own sweet tooth after the kids have gone to bed. Regarding fast food, use psychology. Leann Birch, a Penn State development psychologist, has found that when people are told that junk food is bad for them, they are --perversely--drawn to it. They think that because it is bad for them, it must taste good. So instead of banning fast food altogether, or battling your children about it every few days, set aside one night a month for a Happy Meal or a Taco Bell. Your children can look ahead to it, and you can relax and enjoy it too. Don't be a food cop. (And don't ask your wife to be one, either.) Eating is one of the great joys of life. And dinnertime is one of the few times when the entire family can come together, break bread, and catch up on all the things that are going on in their lives. Too much tension, too much emphasis on what should and should not be eaten, is only going to wreck the atmosphere you want to create. Keep your perspective. Children go through food phases. They'll eat this, but they won't eat that. Then they'll eat that, but they won't eat this. One father reports that his daughter went through a three-year period where practically all she consumed were grilled cheese sandwiches. He calls it "The Age of Cheese." Don't make yourself or your children crazy. Chances are they're doing fine even if they aren't eating as many carrot sticks as you'd like. George Bush Sr. hated broccoli as a kid but he grew up to be president of the United States. Kevin Nelson, who writes the serial novel "Playground Pop" on dadmag.com, has written 13 books. He is the father of three children. The newest addition to his family, Gabriel, was born in March.
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