| If you are a parent, you're probably | | | | get your child to eat healthy foods, try |
| all-too-familiar with hearing "eww!" ick!" "I | | | | offering healthy dips to go with it and you |
| don't like it!" and "That's gross!" coming | | | | might be surprised at how quickly they change |
| out of your child's mouth. In fact, getting a | | | | their minds. |
| child to eat health food can sometimes be as | | | | |
| hard as getting a parking space that three | | | | #4 - Put It in an Ice Cream Cone |
| other cars are waiting for. If you're tired | | | | |
| of your child's dietary battles turning into | | | | A woman we know of had made a wonderful |
| tactical missions and survival-of-the-fittest | | | | fresh-fruit salad for a party and her |
| lessons (or survival of the most stubborn), | | | | grandson wouldn't touch it. If there's one |
| we've got six sneaky ways for you to trick | | | | thing grandma's like, it's watching they're |
| your child into eating health food that | | | | grandchildren eat healthy foods so she was |
| you're absolutely going to love. | | | | bound and determined to get some of the fruit |
| | | | salad into him. She came up with the idea of |
| #1 - Carrot Cupcakes | | | | putting the fruit salad in an ice-cream cone |
| | | | and suddenly fruit salad was the best thing |
| Show me a child who doesn't love cupcakes and | | | | ever and all the kids wanted it. Since then |
| I'll show you a dog that doesn't like bones. | | | | people who witnessed the success at the party |
| I've known hundreds of children in my | | | | have tried the ice-cream cone technique with |
| lifetime and I cannot remember a single one | | | | cottage cheese and even tuna salad and it |
| of them not liking cupcakes. That's what I | | | | hasn't failed yet. If it's in an ice-cream |
| call an opportunity. | | | | cone, chances are kids will eat it. |
| | | | |
| We all know cupcakes aren't healthy. | | | | #5 - Ovaltine Please |
| Chocolate or white cake and a bunch of sugary | | | | |
| frosting on top equates to nothing more than | | | | If you know what Ovaltine is or if you |
| empty calories and a huge sugar rush. But | | | | already have Ovaltine in the house, that's |
| what if you make cupcakes out of carrot cake? | | | | great. If you don't, you're about to fall in |
| Or even zucchini or banana bread? All you | | | | love with a good, old-fashioned wholesome |
| have to do then is create a cream-cheese | | | | product. |
| frosting (lightly sweetened of course) and | | | | |
| you've got a cupcake that's healthy and that | | | | There are thousands upon thousands of |
| kids can't resist. | | | | children who just don't like the taste of |
| | | | milk. However, when Ovaltine is mixed into |
| #2 - Fruit Smoothies | | | | it, many of them can't get enough. Ovaltine |
| | | | makes milk taste somewhat like chocolate |
| Some parents, no matter how hard they try, | | | | milk, but more malt-flavored. Even though the |
| just can't get their children to eat fresh | | | | stuff tastes great, it's actually quite |
| fruit. It may be the texture or the taste, | | | | healthy. Ovaltine is full of vitamins and |
| but whatever it is, getting them to eat fruit | | | | minerals and it's fat free and cholesterol |
| is like getting a vegetarian to try steak - | | | | free. Just add it to low-fat milk and you've |
| it just isn't going to happen. | | | | got healthy chocolate milk for your kids. |
| | | | |
| One day a friend of mine was drinking a fruit | | | | #6 - Make It Pretty |
| smoothie she had picked up at the local juice | | | | |
| bar and her son asked her if he could have a | | | | The visual presentation of food has a big |
| sip of her "shake." My friend didn't bother | | | | impact on how kids perceive it. Throw some |
| to correct her son. She simply gave him the | | | | plain low-fat, all-natural yogurt in a |
| cup and let him take a swallow. Guess what? | | | | plastic bowl with a spoon and they'll |
| He loved it! Since then they've been making | | | | probably turn their noses up at it. However, |
| their own healthy fruit smoothies at home and | | | | if you put it in a parfait cup with a |
| he's getting wholesome fruit on a regular | | | | sprinkling of granola or a few berries on top |
| basis. | | | | and serve it with a fancy spoon, it may be an |
| | | | entirely different story. The same goes for |
| #3 - Dip It | | | | healthy drinks. Serve fresh juice or milk |
| | | | with an interesting straw and kids will be |
| For some reason (I have yet to figure this | | | | much more likely to drink it. |
| one out), children seem to accept healthy | | | | |
| food easier if they can dip it. Offer a | | | | While deception and trickery isn't something |
| little girl a whole carrot and she'll look at | | | | we should often use when dealing with our |
| you like you've grown a third eye. Offer her | | | | children, in the case of sneaking health |
| cut-up carrot sticks with low-fat vegetable | | | | foods into their diets, I think it'll work |
| dip and she's in seventh heaven. If you can't | | | | out just fine. |