This giveaway is now closed.
As 2010 comes to a close, I feel a great deal of gratitude towards my readers.
Thank you so much for reading, commenting and telling your friends about Raise Healthy Eaters. Readership is up, and I know a big part of that is due to word of mouth.
I constantly seek to write about topics that are relevant to your lives. That’s why I like to ask for some feedback at least once a year. Last year I asked readers to fill out a survey but this year I want to try something different.
I feel like parents get pressure from all sides and the advice – and sometimes judgment – comes at lightning speed. But no one takes the time to ask parents what it is they need to do a better job of feeding.
So I thought it would be fun to hold a BIG end-of-the-year giveaway where you get your chance to speak up and win something of course. And to increase your chances, I have 5 awesome items to give away.
Jump Ahead
No Whine with Dinner
The Meal Makeover Moms, Liz Weiss MS, RD, and Janice Newell Bissex, MS, RD, second cookbook is finally here. If you haven’t heard of them, The Meal Makeover Moms are experts at taking regular meals and pumping up the nutrition in kid-pleasing ways. This book is filled with 150 mom-tested and kid-approved recipes including Stuffed Spinach and Cheese Pizza, Piping Hot Peanut Butter Soup and Buttery Brown Sugar Carrots. Bonus sections include 50 tips from real parents about getting kids to eat healthy. There are also blogger tips and recipes including one from yours truly (I’m in a book! I’m in a book!).
California Mandarins (Cuties)
The people from Cuties got in touch with me after my post about why I love the sweet fruit so much. They are offering 5 free vouchers for a 3-pound bag of Cuties. That’s a lot of vitamin C that I’m sure any family could use at this time of year. Not to mention kids love them.
The Why Weight? Family Pocket Guide
Jill Castle, MS, RD is a pediatric dietitian with over 20 years’ experience. This handy book is filled with tips and insights on feeding kids with an emphasis on obesity prevention. Jill’s writing style is easily relatable, simple and straightforward. She has a way of boiling down complicated nutrition topics into easy-to-follow steps. It probably helps that she lives the part as a mom of four children.
Acacia DVD Tapes
Busy parents don’t have much time to exercise – I know that! And nothing is easier and more efficient than exercising at home (try naptime/bedtime – perfect). Acacia is offering 6 of their latest DVD workouts: Shiva Rea: Power Flow Yoga, Exhale: Core Fusion Boot Camp, Joy Bauer’s Slimdown Workout, Hemalayaa: Bollywood Party Workout, Strong Body Fit Body with Erin O’Brien, and Body by Bethenny with Bethenny Getting Married? star Bethenny Frankel. There will be two winners for this one (3 DVDs each).
Good luck and Happy New Year!
I struggle with my pick eater. We often have a scream when something new is on the table. I know it takes time to get kids to try new things but he is turning 6 yrs old! He did try some new veggies the other night and I pinched myself to be sure it was real.
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My biggest challenge is picky eating. Despite my best efforts when my kids are young (ages 4 and 1 years right now) they hit a picky stage right around one year. My oldest son will eat very few things and getting him to try new dishes is exhausting. He has a particular issue with seasoning and sauce (if he can see sauce on something he absolutely refuses to even try it!). My younger son is beginning to show signs of the same, despite my cooking and feeding him a variety of foods and flavors up until this point. How do I keep the baby eating and get my preschooler to try more things!?!
My biggest challenge is finding healthy food options for my 16 month old. He’s not good at spoon feeding, so I try to stick with finger foods, and he also can’t eat anything even remotely acidic because of horrible diaper rash. I think I’ve done pretty well, but I still worry about him not getting all the healthy foods he needs!
I signed up for email updates and am going to tell my mom friends about your blog!
I became a facebook fan!
My biggest challenge is that my husband is the cook and I work from home. With two little ones in daycare during the day, I would like to be able to prep something for dinner before I pick them up so dinner is closer to being ready than it would be if we waited on Dad to do everything. I have few skills in the kitchen and making something that is fast, easy and healthy that doesn’t take away from the quality time I want to spend with my children is my challenge. Thank you for asking and Happy New Year!
I work full time and struggle the most with finding time to plan weekly meals. Our daughter is 10.5 months old and starting to eat more table foods… and I really need to plan better so that she has healthy options and variety!
My biggest challenge is probably just keeping things simple. I get all geared up to do something and research it and make an elaborate plan, and then feel overwhelmed and never actually start.
My other challenge is also trying to accept what my kids eat (like if they only eat one part of dinner) and break bad habits, like telling them to take one more bite!
I subscribe and I (ever so delicately) told my friend about your blog.
a 20 month old who would rather nurse than eat is my struggle. I do not know how to get him to enjoy food – besides fruit. He needs more protein. A 4 yr old who wants no veggies. That is an easy fix as I sneak them in everything and make him try a bit with every meal. I also do smoothies made of veggies, fruit and plain yogurt.
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Emailed my moms club with a suggestion they follow. We all have some food issues. 😉
I cannot stop eating sugary foods if they are in our house. I do not want my daughter to be that way.
Proper storage of fresh produce and quick easy meals using my produce. I pick up my veggies once a week at a local CSA. I often have things go bad before I can use them, and am low on fresh foods at the end of the week.
I just became a fan of the page on FaceBook
I want to make sure that my son grows up with a healthy respect for food unlike me who is completely addicted and fights the battle daily.
I already get your posts sent to my Outlook account so I emailed two friends to tell them about your blog and how much I liked it.
My biggest issue feeding my boys is coming up with new ideas instead of getting stuck in a rut. I find it really challenging to make a good dinner if I am unmotivated about what to cook and don’t decide until I get home from work (and have no groceries!). Thanks so much, Maureen (jnomaxx at hotmail dot com)
Just signed up to get your emails. Thanks, Maureen (jnomaxx at hotmail dot com)
My biggest struggle is staying ahead of planning. I will do well for a few weeks than a kid gets sick or work has a big thing and I lose my rhythm. Also if you ever fix the picky four year old thing let me know n
Our biggest problem is not picky eating but making smart food choices. We started the snack box. I put items in a box and it is either on the shelf or refrigerator. It is divided into 3 sections and they have 100% juice, granola, fruit or some other combination. Three times a day, an item may be taken out of the snack box that is healthy. So far, it seems to be working and we love the Cuties.
Our biggest challenge in healthy meals is finding the time/energy to prepare them. Our work day is long and our time at home in the evenings is limited. Some days not everyone is hungry enough to have a big dinner so we end up eating something like a bowl of cereal or a peanut butter sandwich or whatever it is you find and feel like eating.
I am so aware of the tips and tricks of pre-organizing meals and different hints, I don’t think I can read another article about it without feeling like I already know what they are saying. The challenge is to actually put the plans in motion and find a suggestion that actually fits in our lifestyle.
Our grocery budget is not generous.
Dietary needs in the family are different. We rely a lot on venison (harvested by the family ourselves), potatoes, and vegetables (canned or frozen, or fresh in the summer when the farmer’s market is open). The family doesn’t like rice, husband can’t eat leafy greens (it makes his blood thicken due to a chronic condition).
It’s a constant struggle and I have come to loathe the question “What’s for dinner?” I succeed maybe once or twice a week in cooking a fulfilling, well-rounded, healthy meal that everyone likes.
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My biggest struggle is making vegetables more appetizing than just steaming them or throwing them in pasta. I just bought some V8 to see if drinking vegetables will do the trick.
My biggest challenge, when it comes to the appetite of my voracious boys, is quick processed foods for snacks. Sometimes it is just easier to let them have what is quick and easy rather than preparing something for them multiple times a day. I try hard to keep fresh fruit and veggies readily available, but sometimes they crave starch. That is when I run into problems. Easy processed crackers and snacks make my life easier when they are complaining about dying of hunger (they say that almost every time they are hungry :o) ). So, that is my challenge and I fear their appetites are only going to grow! Boys sure do eat ALOT!!!
My two problems: 1. Wanting too much sugar. I love the sweet treats and don’t want to pass this on to the kids. 2. I get stuck in a rut with what to make for dinners. I do better when I plan and shop for a week, but would like a bigger variety of healthy meals everyone will eat.
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My biggest challenge….picky eaters! Both of my children are extremely picky, and refuse to try anything new. My husband doesn’t always back me up when I try to encourage better eating habits, so I just give up. Help!
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I struggle with being consistent. I will eat well for a couple weeks or so, and then fall off the wagon due to some stressor. It’s never easy, and I want to be better!
I’m not a mom just yet, but I love your site as it pertains to overall health and your preconception recommendations. My current challenge is accountability regarding the foods that I need to eat for preconception health, and also meal planning and keeping track of what foods I’ve consumed during the week.
I’m also a subscriber via RSS.
And I just became a fan on facebook! 🙂
My challenge is making sure each bite counts, since I have a reluctant eater.
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Thankfully, my children are not that picky although every once in awhile we have something come up with them not wanting to try all their foods. My husband was raised without a lot of the food groups as his mom didn’t like them and so he is still pretty picky, but the rule at my table for all (including my husband hehe) is that you have to have a bite of everything on your plate. You don’t have to finish it all, but you at least have to try what I have cooked. Amazingly, many of the things that were new that my children thought they wouldn’t like they have loved once they have tried it. My husband has even found some new things he likes too! 🙂 Also, I find that not showing your rejection of foods to your children is good too as if my husband has said in the past that he doesn’t like something then my children will automatically assume they won’t like it too. My kids LOVE salads and many time if we have to eat on the run they will choose subway over the fast food options. Most children LOVE fruit and if you prepare it and have a variety of options ready for them usually they will devour it for a snack! Happy Healthy eating!! 🙂
My biggest challenge is vegetables. I know they are so good for us, but honestly, I have never really enjoyed veggies, so I never prepare them.
My biggest struggle is staying ahead of planning too!
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I added myself to your email list! 🙂
I became a fan of your website- looking forward to hearing your ideas regularly! 🙂
My challenge is other family sabotaging our attempts at eating healthy, i.e. my MIL tried to convince me last week that I should give my kids the O shaped pasta in a can as it now has 1/2 a serving of vegetables. No thanks, I’ll give them a handful of baby carrots instead. And my kids look to their father for eating habits, how to I make veggies appealing so he’ll eat them and set a good example? I’ll eat most any veggie but hate preparing them know they’ll most likely end up in the trash.
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I am lucky to have a child that loves to eat healthy foods. And I’m lucky to be able to cook healthy meals from scratch. My challenge is to make time for myself to 1) eat better snacks and 2) exercise on a regular basis.
My biggest challenge right now with my one year old is finding finger foods that have all the nutrition she requires. She will not let me feed her with a spoon anymore (at least not regularly) so I feel like I am losing control of what she will eat. Thankfully she is not that picky (yet!) but I am running out of ideas of age appropriate finger food for a 1 year old. thanks maryann.
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My biggest challenge is knowing that my toddler is getting enough iron since he’s not a huge fan of meat.
My biggest challenge is keeping my son at the table and dealing with my frustration when the kids take food and then don’t eat it. We don’t have a lot extra and the wasting bothers me. My son has been diagnosed with ADHD, and while I’m not certain I agree with the diagnosis, he is certainly hyperactive. Sitting five minutes at the table kills him- but then he doesn’t eat and he comes looking for food later. That leads to a lot of reiterating that he can’t have more food until the next snack time. We’ve tried games, talking about fun stuff and activity breaks, but nothing has worked. He does have lots of free time to move in addition to six hours/week of gymnastics and two hours of Kung Fu (he loves both). He is almost seven.
I already follow the blog and I just sent the link to my friend who has a new son.
I don”t have a facebook account, but I got my wife to share it on hers.
My biggest challenge is getting my three year old to eat dinner. If he does not like what I make he just does not eat. My six year old will eat anything!
I struggle with boredom munching. I’m not hungry just eating to do something. And I’m a real last minuet dinner maker.
My daughter is almost 5 and meal times have become very stressful with her. We are determined not to give in and just feed her the “white” food she wants, but it is really hard! We like to eat ethnic and sometimes spicy foods – should we insist that she try them or fix her something else on these nights? She is also refusing vegetables and insisting on dessert after every meal — help!
My biggest struggle is my feeding my headstrong, independent, 4-yr-old daughter. It’s not a matter of whether or not she likes the food. How would she know when we can’t get her to even try a bite? On the rare occasion that she’ll let a new taste pass her lips it’s cause for celebration. I don’t want food to become a power struggle (visions of eating disorders dance in my head).
my biggest challenge is nixing our sugar habit so my daughter doesnt end up on the same pre diabetic path i am on
I already follow you in my email and I shared your site with a few friends.
My biggest challenges presently: to determine if there is another way to get my 8 year old the nutrition she receives from milk, because she hates it so its a battle two times a day. (I hated it too as a kid and don’t drink it as an adult).
Also, I can help the smart choices here at the house, but my kids don’t make good choices when they’re not with me-do I let that go and keep doing things right, here? I used to give them directions on how many cups of lemonade, candy etc they could have and that put a big focus on food and a clear idea that I didn’t trust them to make those decisions.
Though we eat all of the right things, I don’t know exactly WHY the things we eat are good for us-so I can’t educate the kids to give them that knowledge in their own decision making. I’d love to hear of a source that is parent friendly and pretty simply to arm myself with good information.
Is that enough 🙂
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My daughter (4) has multiple food allergies (most fruits, tomatoes and all things red just to name a few). She is also a picky eater. We are limited on what she can have but yet is picky with things she can. To top it off – she is ‘failure to thrive’ so we need to give her as high calorie of a diet as we possibly can. My son (3) doesn’t have any food allergies but can also use the extra calories. All of this while trying to cook healthy for my husband and I. I want my children to eat as healthy as possible considering the restrictions my daughter has. Sit down family meals are important to us yet its difficult to find a meal we can all eat or want to eat.
I signed up for email subscription and suggested your facebook page to several friends.
I have a son who won’t eat any cooked vegetables, only a few raw vegetables and only apple slices, strawberries and clementines for fruits. He also doesn’t want to try new meats or any pasta. What can I do to help encourage him to be willing to try new things, even if he doesn’t like them enough to eat them?
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I signed up for the emails. I can’t wait to start getting ideas for better eating to help control my family’s weight and health.
Became a fan of Raise Healthy Eaters.
My biggest struggle is trying to make very frugal meals that will tempt my two year old to eat vegetables. I also have to eat gluten free so sometimes just figuring out what to cook takes a lot of energy out of me let alone trying to find ways to present vegetables in a kid-friendly manner. Luckily, he will eat most fruits and he really likes roasted sweet potato fries 🙂
We have gone from having an eater who would eat whatever (mostly) we put in front of her at mealtimes to one who (now nearing age 3) is super-selective and whose default refrain is that she “doesn’t like” this or that, or that it’s “yucky.” I’m struggling with keeping my patience through what I know is a phase while not caving into just fixing macaroni and cheese every day for months. Controlling my emotions surrounding mealtimes is the toughest part for me – because I’m prone to second-guessing myself – though when I am super-patient I know a hands-off approach works. There are days she will fight and fight us, she’s not hungry, doesn’t want to sit at the table, on and on, and by being hands-off and consistently saying that this is the time that we’re eating and there won’t be food until the next mealtime, she actually does get around to taking some bites (or she skips the meal and no one’s the worse for it). Bottom line, I’m working to try and be a bit less invested and to have faith it will all work out as it should.
Love so many of your ideas – thanks for all your hard work and good advice!
Just became a fan on Facebook – thanks!
With preteen and teen daughters, it’s so frustrating that, outside of our home, they are bombarded with junk food via friends, parties, snacks at their after school dance classes, etc. It’s pretty constant. Of course they partake 🙁
I struggle with trying to keep the house crazy healthy but still having a more realistic balance of ‘a little bit’ of junk food won’t hurt… Haven’t yet found a solution to this. Sometimes I make a great dinner and by the time they come home, they’re full, simply from some snack food from a friend that they may have shared and the dinner doesn’t get eaten… Any advice or strategies on dealing with the outside food influences that we can’t control would be fab.
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My biggest challenge is feeding 3 kids, 2 of them are super picky, and one has food allergies – nuts and eggs! Not to mention, a diabetic husband. So family meals are definitely a challenge!!
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I’m a single mother and trying to make varied and healthy dishes just for 1 and a 1/2 people is very difficult. All the cooking for 2 recipes and cookbooks are for 2 adults. Considering it’s just me and my 5 year old I tend to have oodles of food leftover, I’m freezing way more than I have room for or we’re making ourselves sick on the same thing for 5 days!
The upside? I can serve most anything and she doesn’t realize that it’s probably not combo’s that most people eat for dinner….like just hummus, cheese and other dips with crackers and veggies and whatever else we may have on hand!
I’m vegetarian wanting to become more vegan and my biggest hurdle desserts so I’m working on that.
my hubby and girls is not vegetarian their biggest hurdle is eating more fruit. I’ll have to try those cuties
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My biggest challenge is getting my teen boys to eat veggies or fruits for snacks. They follow after their Dad who doesn’t like them much and will on occasion eat them if I cut them all up and offer then on a plate but then only sometimes. I didn’t plan on making all of their snacks at this age- I wanted them to be more self sufficient. We have a house “with nothing to eat.” When of course, there are lowfat crackers, string cheese, fruit, canned soups, dry cereal, etc waiting for them.
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My 2yo daughter is getting picky about her veggies. Broccoli used to be her favorite but now she wont even touch it. She’s into peas now. How. Can I reintroduce the veggies she used to like?
I think my biggest challenge is cooking foods everyone (11 month old, preschooler and 2 adults) will eat. I get bored of eating “kid food”, but I only want to cook one meal per night. So I like to find recipes the kids will eat but will still please an adult palette. Usually these meals involve a LOT of cheese!
My biggest challenge is dealing with a hubby who likes to get himself take-out during the week! I buy things for him at home but he almost has an addiction to Chinese restaurants and Chipotle!
My biggest obstacle is that for the past 7 years I have cooked 4 different meals at every meal time, every day! I know it’s my own fault–I’ve always eaten different than my husband, even pre-kids, and since kids, I have a major picky eater who will only eat the same 5 foods each day, and a voracious eater who still likes different foods than mom & dad. Honestly, from breakfast to dinner, NO ONE eats the same thing as anyone else! I honestly am not sure what would help, but I’m sure I need help 😉
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My biggest challenge is not in feeding my kids healthy foods, but getting them to understand the importance of making the right decisions when they are out with friends or other adults. My 10 yr old son has come a long way this past year and is now one of the wisest kids I know! He makes better choices than me sometimes!! The other day he pleaded with me not to buy chips (we were on vacation and so I was going to buy them as a treat). I listened to his reasoning (he said he was trying to watch his food and that if I bought them it would be hard) and than chose not to get the chips, we bought carrots & apples instead.
Now that my oldest is on board I have to reach my younger son (7) who is a junk food junkie! This is my biggest challenge!
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To be honest, I find it pretty easy to create well balanced, nutritious meals for my daughter. However, I don’t find that same kind of time for myself…I just get lazy or tired or uninspired. Before I became a mom I used to LOVE to cook. Now I feel like even when I do cook, it never turns out as amazing as it once seemed to. I don’t know if my tastebuds have changed since being pregnant or what the deal is…but I would like to make the meals I eat just as healthy as my daughters. For example, if we are in a hurry in the morning, I make sure my daughter eats her breakfast, but many times I leave the house without eating mine or even taking a drink of water. I always remember to pack her a drink, but seldom do a remember to bring one for myself. Ideally, I would win the lottery and hire a personal chef. Clearly, I need to find a plan b. I also find myself dreading making a list to go the grocery store and coming up with a menu each week. If someone could just do the planning for me and the shopping…oh and the cooking would be nice too:)
i told a friend about your really great emails
I cannot for the life of me get my 2 1/2 year old son to eat vegetables, at all, in any form. He is very wary of any new foods, especially with textures that are uncomfortable for him. This frustrates me to no end.
Our toddler is a naturally big eater and always has been. For the first many months of her solid food life I limited her “normal” sized servings and watched her become obsessed with food over time. It’s been a long and challenging process but with help from experts and blogs like yours we’ve switched to the “division of responsibility” approach and now are very happy to have a toddler who eats calmly because she determines how much to eat. Thank goodness for all the support and resources available to help us find the road to healthy eating habits!
While my almost four year old and 19 month old sons eat a fairly varied vegetarian diet, I’m ALWAYS looking for new ways to introduce new foods and keep them healthy. The book you’re giving away looks awesome and we go through several bags of cuties a month!
All four of my children had food intolerances as infants until they were two or three years of age. On top of that, I had two that had oral aversions (one due to reflux and the other due to c-diff). I was unable to introduce a variety of foods or textures until they were older. They are now 9, 7, 5 and 3 and I am still struggling to get them to try new foods. It has been a very slow process. They are very attached to their simple diets. Throw in a husband’s deployment (simple meals for a year) and we have really made it more challenging to overcome old habits. I am still striving to add diversity to their diet, but it is a slow process to not create negative attitudes towards healthy food.
Our biggest challenge is outside forces. Family parties, grandparents, neighbors, school parties, etc. It used to be a “special occassion”, but it seems like these “parties” are so frequent! Even bringing home a bag full of candy from a birthday that lasts for days!
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Our biggest challenge is family and friends and even church events… it seems like buying a ton of candy is the easiest and cheapest reward. Every Wednesday night is a struggle, as Cubbies and Sparks get to pick a piece of candy out of the bag before they go. Then on Christmas Eve, each kid got a bag to take home…. full of… candy! We want to be kind when we are at family and friends’ homes… but it just seems like it is a constant battle. Luckily, we have a daughter with food sensitivities, but the rest of us are supposed to just go along with everything else…
We have started to “exchange” candy for something else, but sometimes I don’t anticipate or forget, and sometimes it is just plain rude.
Anyway, that is our biggest hurdle right now!
I have a hard time getting my 4 yr old and to eat enough veggies, she loves fruit, but resists veggies. I want to overcome this habit before she teaches her 1 yr old sister to not like them. I always ask her to take one “no thank you” bite at every meal, but I also sneak them into entrees such as spaghetti sauce.
My biggest challenge is budget. We work so hard to stay out of debt, but that means my food budget is really the only flexible part of our family budget. Organic fresh fruits and veggies scream “healthy”, but kill my cash envelope. We’re already really good about shopping the 4 corners and making as much as possible from scratch. We have been experimenting with gardening, but recently moved to a new climate and have not mastered that, yet!
My biggest food challenge is getting my 2 year old to eat anything besides fruit! I’m glad she loves fruit, but she also needs veggies, grains etc
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I have a diabetic husband, a verypicky 5 year old and a milk protein allergic 3 year old. We are in a major rut and need health versions.
My biggest challenges: one child with autism that has dietary restrictions for dairy meaning we substitute his dairy with soy or use dairy as close to natural as possible (less than 5 ingredients); one child with severe food allergies meaning soy, egg, and highly allergic to peanuts/tree nuts and anything cross contaminated with any of those allergens; my husband is diabetic; 2 children which are underweight; oh, and I also have allergies that aren’t necessarily the same as anyone else’s! Can you feel the stress oozing from this message???
My challenge is that I feed my kids the same things over and over. I’d like to find a few more lunches that my kids will eat.
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I’m enjoying all the comments on your blog and hearing about the everyday mealtime challenges parents face. I can definitely relate to Kelly L’s comment about outside food influences facing her teens.
So happy you are giving away a copy of my new cookbook. I can’t wait to hear who wins it!
My two year old will not eat anything that you have to use a utensil for (except cake & ice cream). He also won’t let you feed it to him. So soup, yogurt, salad, mashed potatoes… are all a no go. Luckily he will eat most veggies without utensils and quite a few fruits.
I love different foods than the rest of my family. For example I love pasta, the rest of the family hates it. I love seafood, rest of the family hates it! I need to eat healthy for my health. I tried convincing my family to do the same for their health or they’ll end up like me, barely trying to get healthy in my “old” age. I end up making two different meals, one for me and something different for the rest! Expensive. Then my husband wonder’s why our grocery bill is too high!
My biggest challenge is trying to please everyone. With 7 kids, I’m not sure that is even possible. I also need more clever ways of sneaking in the veggies.
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Oh yeah. I also became a fan of yours on FB and suggested to 5 friends.
My biggest challenge with the kids is listening to them when they say they’re full during a meal, just to have them fill up on starchy snacks an hour later. I think the best way to prevent this will be to eliminate things I don’t want them filling up on from the house… but could use some advice since the convenience of things like granola bars is hard to give up.
One of our biggest challenges is getting our preschooler to eat proteins (meats, beans, etc) and whole wheat breads. She’s great about trying new foods and will eat fruits, veggies, etc. Any hints on working the whole grain breads into the mix? Thank you!
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My biggest challenge is that my 3 yr old won’t put anything in his mouth that is mixed. For example, extra pureed veggies in spaghetti sauce won’t work for us because he won’t eat spaghetti sauce. Just plain meat and plain noodles.
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My biggest challenge is feeding a very particular almost 3-year old. He is in the stage of liking something one minute, but not the next. Sometimes he will only eat fruit all day. Some days he barely seems to eat at all. If it were up to him, he’d eat fruit snacks, Mini Wheats, and mandarin oranges for every meal.
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I have 2 kids, both picky eaters, and I find it hard to get both of them to like the same things. For example, my son eats Mexican (tacos, guacamole. etc) and my daughter doesn’t. My daughter likes Chinese, my son doesn’t. It makes meal planning very hard. I did get my daughter to like tortilla wraps after watching a favorite chef make wraps on TV, so I’m closer to getting her to like some Mexican food like chicken & cheese quesadillas. Time will tell….
I’m like Elizabeth! I used to make 4 diiners too, but I’m trying not to lately. On top of 2 picky eaters, who rarely like the same thing, I live with my elderly MIL, who can’t chew or digest red meat. She doesn’t really cook, so I have to make different meals for her if we are having meat (which most of the time, thankfully, the rest of my family eats).
My biggest challenge is getting my 7 year old to try new foods or foods he is familiar with that he doesn’t think he will like. He gags easily and almost always does if I make him try something. I’m not sure how to get him to try something he might end up liking if he’d just be open to trying it.
My challenges for healthy eating are time for preparing food and I have two picky eaters in my family… It makes it hard to cook and not so much fun.
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My biggest challenge is helping my Autistic some make good food choices that matches his very picky eating. I also have a very athletic daughter and I am very concerned about her getting the nutrients she need to keep up with all the sports. I know that if she does not eat properly her body will start depleting itself thus leading to injury! Would love to see some blog regarding great eating for very athletic kids! Thanks!!
My kids have a hard time eating veggies, I’d love some new ideas besides loading them with unhealthy dips and cheeses to get them to eat them.
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My son came along and he would try anything I would put in front of him. He ate veggies and would eat broccoli over hot dogs when he was 2. Then my daughter came along. Since the beginning she was pickier. I would make the same meals with orzo, chicken and veggies that I made my son and she would not touch it. She has an adversion to green veggies and now that my son is 5 he is a little pickier, but will still try anything. I serve them what I make for dinner and eat all of my veggies at dinner. My husband is picky and not the best example and I think my daughter has my husbands tastes. I wish she would be more adventurous like my son. I would love to see what to do when you have one child that is not as adventurous as the other.
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My challenge is getting a good healthy meal together and I know that is one shared by lots of families. I say I am going to plan ahead, cook ahead, shop ahead, etc, but it doesn’t seem to happen.
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My husband is part of the problem.. he is a very picky eater, and he often makes comments to the kids when I try to feed them something healthy that he might not like.. so the kids have a bad taste in their mouths before they even try it!!
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My biggest challenge is what to do when my 3yo wants to only eat her “favortie” part of any meal. She will ask for more of the favorite thing (be it rice or noodles or cherry tomatoes) and fill up just on that one thing without touching the other food. When do you say “enough rice, if you are still hungry you can eat the other things on your plate”?
I have an 8 year son, who when he was little ate everything. He will now not eat anything in the way of fruits none at all. He will only eat broccoli if it is covered in Alfredo sauce. He will not try anything. Even stuff that he used to like he wont even give it a chance. To the point if i even suggest it he starts to cry. If i tell him he has to eat what is on his plate or he gets nothing else is would rather go to bed starving then even take one bite. His sister who is 19 months is still some what willing to try anything, but sees that her brother won’t eat it and starting to pick up his habits. Any help or advice I could get would be appropriated. Will be doing a healthy eating class with my cub scout boys, hoping if the other boys are willing to try stuff maybe he will to.
A huge challenge for me is finding time to fit in all I want/ need to do and to cook healthy meals at the same time. I am new to the world of full-time work, and it has been a big adjustment. My husband is FANTASTIC with jumping in and cooking (as well as cleaning, homework with my girls, and everything else I’m suddenly slacking on), but he just doesn’t balance the meals the same way I would. This winter break has been good for us, though, because I got to recharge before heading back to work, and I see how I could do things differently with a little more planning. Dinner may not be perfect during the week, but the weekends can be a great time to get all the creative meals onto the table.
My biggest food issue is that I am a meat eater, my husband is not, and our two children are dabblers, not sure what they want to be. On the nights I want to have meat for dinner it is really hard making a dinner that makes all four of us happy!!
My biggest challenge with my kids is the negative food exposure they get at school. I’m working my hardest to fight against it, but I feel like I’m coming across as the bad guy/stick in the mud/party pooper/troublemaker.
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My biggest challenge is to find something that both of my children will eat for dinner. My son will refuse to eat more than a bite and then asks for a snack before bedtime.
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Thank you for the great blog. Parenthood is challenging in general but I find that the organizational aspects of meal planning are the toughest. Thinking ahead, having the right food available, and then following through to prepare what’s been planned. It’s all challenging! Ha. Hopeful that I will make some improvements in the new year.
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My biggest challenge is getting a healthy meal on the table that doesn’t take long to prepare. I’d like to try meal planning but my husband often prefers to decide what he wants about half an hour before eating!
My major concern is I run out of ideas to make and then get discouraged! I need meals that have real people with real work schedules in mind. I only have two hours once I get my daughter from daycare before she is tired and ready to bathe and go to bed! I do not want to spend my two hours cooking, I want to play with her and read and snuggle. I just found your blog today through Super healthy kids, I’m very interested to see what you have to say and ideas you have! Happy New year!
My 3-year-old daughter decided when she was 1 that there were 4 things she would eat: fruit, cheese, nut butter and whole wheat bread. She is SO stubborn about trying new things that she will refuse a meal–or even TWO–if no foods on her “okay” list are offered. Letting her be hungry does not change this behavior. We’ve tried offering her variety. We’ve tried making it cute. We’ve even tried offering her nothing else until she tried something new–which sort of worked but was quite painful. The thing that has worked best is to offer her the same new food over & over until she finally tried it. Now she’ll eat cucumbers too.
Biggest challenge- Dad is picky eatter too. Makes it hard to create easy healthy meals.
My biggest challenge is to get my autistic grandson to try any new foods. He has a few favorites and that is all he will usually eat. He especially resists even considering eating vegetables. I have made spinach brownies in order to give him veggies in his diet.
My biggest challenge is a daughter who is a selective eater (as described above by others). After ‘trying’ new foods consistently and positively for months, they are still not integrated into foods chosen willingly by her. My (our) biggest fear is the damage this self-imposed diet is doing to her developing body and the long term implications. As a result, I have embarked on a mission to gather as much information as possible – knowledge is power afterall.
I’m very interested in eating healthy and do a fairly good job of it…when I plan and take the time to do so. My challenge is getting myself and my 2 year old out the door in the morning dressed, with a healthy breakfast in our tummies, hopefully a healthy lunch packed for me, and in the kitchen, something balanced and tasty and easy to put together for when we all get home at the end of the day. 2 days a week I work late and I want to have healthy dinners waiting for my husband and son so that my husband doesn’t have to worry about the cooking. I also need to be better at keeping essentials in the kitchen so that putting recipes together is easier/quicker.
my biggest challenge, which I’ve already started tackling, is getting my 3 year old to eat what I prepare for dinner without a fight. she’s a great eater and does eat a wide variety of foods, but she gives me grief over most of the proteins and in her ideal world would have pasta every night. we have started to stand firm that she either eats what we are serving or nothing at all and we haven’t had to send her to bed without anything yet. I also have a 3 month old and plan on making all of her food from scratch.
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became a fan on facebook. and forgot to mention that in addition to my challenge of getting my 3 year old to eat a wider variety of foods, my husband is incredibly picky and I’m trying to make sure that my girls eat a wider variety of foods – hard to do when they see daddy with such a limited palate.
My challenge is finding healthy foods, especially healthy lunch box foods, for my sensory challenged five year old who is, like many of the other children described here, a highly selective eater. On top of that she’s starting to pass on her habits to my used-to-be-an-adventurous eater – she ate camel meat when she was just 1 1/2 – toddler! Now she eats ketchup by the spoonful. I love vegetables and my husband and I are adventurous eaters who love healthy foods so it’s hard to figure out ways to keep our family healthy, especially avoiding the items out there that are packed with so much unnecessary sugar.
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One of my big concerns in raising healthy eaters is sugar. I feel like we are assaulted by sugar. I don’t buy many treats, but people are always giving my sweet boys treats! (My kind sister gives them a package of Oreos for every holiday, for e.g.) There is added sugar in everything, it seems. Sugar isn’t evil in its own right, but I worry about real, good food being replaced with empty calories.
My goal is to work even harder to avoid processed foods, but I also then need to streamline my dinner planning and lunch prep. I really do think your menu suggestions will help. (Also, I’m vegetarian and my husband is not. My children eat some meat, but very little by their own choosing.)
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Just heard about you from a friend! I have what I think is a typical toddler – he used to eat whatever we put in front of him (even dined at an Indian restaurant and he loved it). Now he sometimes eats and sometimes doesn’t. I would chalk it up to typical independence/distractedness. Developmentally, he’s in great shape. BUT… he hasn’t grown much in the past year and Dr. is concerned; if his growth curve isn’t improved by our next weigh in (early feb), we’ll need to start a food log and look at “options,” whatever that may be. All along we’ve been doing what the books say – regular meal times; variety; healthy choices; don’t make a big deal about whether or not he eats. But lately with the concern over growth, my husband and I find ourselves wanting to do Anything to get him to. Just. Eat. Something. It’s hard not to give in to the bribery urge because it works short term. I know that’s just setting us up for bad habits, but we’re finding ourselves at a loss. The idea that “he’ll eat when he’s hungry enough” does not seem to be playing out for us, considering his lack of growth. I’ll be exploring your site for more constructive ideas!
(PS – Just getting to know your site and loving what I see so far. Looking forward to more in future email and social sites.)
My biggest issue for my 2 year old as well as my husband & I is getting enough green vegetables in our diet – we eat a lot of fruit, but miss the green leafies! My brother recommend a “green smoothie” – a regular fruit smoothie with spinach mixed in and so far so good! My daughter doesn’t even realize that she’s drinking spinach with all of that fruit. I want to find MORE ways to do the same thing.
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Became Facebook fan and posted link to post on Facebook. I’ve really enjoyed reading all the responses. In addition to what I posted already, so many of the challenges mentioned by others are ones that my husband and I share. So many to choose from to share, lol!
My biggest challenge is trying to find food that everyone in my family likes: if the teenagers like it, the little ones won’t and vice versa. My goal is to try to incorporate more vegetables into their diets by offering more at dinners and snacks. I’m hopeful this will encourage all of them to start eating the same things.
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Two challenges…
Finding ways to incorporate veggies that we all like.
Finding meals that work for everyone (My husband and I like things spicy, for example, or soups are hard for a two year old).
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