Monday Menu August 27th

Someone had asked me how I get my kids to eat such healthy food. Um, well....I paused for awhile and thought about it. I wasn't able to give her much of an answer except "That is what I feed them--that is what they eat"

After more thinking, I did think up a few things (tricks) to ways in which we try to teach and help our children enjoy eating healthy foods. The main thing is getting them involved in the process of cooking, growing, and preparing foods. I started off promoting healthy foods when they were first born. Here is what we do in our household.

• I don't serve my kids chicken nuggets and french fries while we are eating a healthy pasta. Our daughters eat whatever Mama or Papa makes. Basically, I don't prepare separate meals for each taste bud! We all eat what is prepared; the same thing!
• When trying new things, we enforce the 3 bite rule: 1st - taste, 2nd - think about it, 3rd - decide.
• When grocery shopping, I sometimes allow my daughter to pick out anything she would like to try from the produce isle. We take it home and I will find a recipe for that ingredient and we cook together and make a dish from her selected ingredient.
• Allowing my daughter to look through cookbooks (mainly books with pictures) and choose a recipe that she would like to cook together.
• Since our daughters were young, we have gone out to different cultural restaurants. We have allowed our daughters to experience restaurants that are Japanese, Thai, Indian (to name a few). They love to try and hold chopsticks or munch on Naan bread. They love summer rolls, tofu curry, and kappa rolls!
• We get the kids involved in the vegetable garden. Papa does square foot gardening and he will build a box for a daughter to plant some of her favorite veggies. She helps to plant, water, and take care of her section. It is great for her to be invested in growing the food.

What about you? Do you have any tips or ways in which you teach your children about healthy foods?

Here is our menu for this week!


BREAKFASTS:
Bagels & Cream Cheese
Fresh Fruit

Smoothies
Toast w/ peanut butter

French toast
Yogurt

Oatmeal w/ raisins & cinnamon

Cereal (whole grain) w/ fresh berries
Soymilk

LUNCHES
PB & J, Carrots & ranch dip, grapes

Pita Bread w/ hummus
Garden Cherry tomatoes
Cucumber slices, sugar snap peas
Fruit

Veggie Chili w/ Quesadillas
Fruit

Tuna Salad on Croissants
Avocado, Orange Salad
Fruit Tart

Leftovers


DINNERS
Pasta w/ tomatoes, fresh basil, parmesean cheese
Broccoli
Crusty Bread

Tuscan White Bean soup with Kale and Swiss Chard
Panzanella Salad
Green Beans

Coconut-Crusted Shrimp w/ peanut butter curry sauce
Brown Jasmine Rice
Edamame

Ratatouille w/ creamy rosemary Polenta
Homemade Whole Wheat Bread
Beets


Tacos w/ homemade tortillas
Watermelon or other fruit