It’s actually should be called “Making My Kids Eat Healthy”.
Cause, come on: kids don’t naturally CHOOSE healthy foods (except for fruit). It’s a choice that we, as the parents, have to make for them in order to make it a habit. And in the long run, they’ll thank us for it. So you’re welcome in advance, Reagan and Reid.
While my kids do eat a mostly “clean” diet (meaning nutrient-dense foods), I do try to teach them about balance. The last thing I want to do is brainwash them into thinking certain foods are “bad” or “off limits”. I don’t practice that in my diet, so I sure as heck don’t want them to think that way.
Instead, I have taught them the importance of eating their “brainfood” first (protein, healthy fats, veggies, etc.) and then if they’re still hungry, they can maybe have something sweet they’ve had their eye on (usually an Annie’s granola bar, Back to Nature cookie, yada yada). We practice this at home as well as when we’re out. So my kids know not to ask me for dessert unless they’ve eaten what we’ve given them as their meal.
I will say that although they do eat healthy, both of them do not really like veggies. I mean, even B doesn’t like veggies, so I can see where they get it from. Ha! But still, vegetables are super important, which is why I like to add them into meals (mostly dinner) in very small amounts to get them used to eating them. A tactic that works well for me is to give them a choice between two. Not “what kind of veggie would you like?”, but rather, “Do you want broccoli or green beans?” They pick one of the two. Every single time. Works like a charm. [wink, wink]
So what do we feed them when we’re at home? I knew you’d ask! Here are some of our frequent meals, broken down by breakfast, lunch, snacks, and dinner.
BREAKFAST:
oatmeal with a little mashed banana, blueberries, and a few Enjoy Life chocolate chips (again, balance!)
sprouted toast with ghee and a sprinkle of cinnamon + Lakanto monk fruit sweetener (use code FITNCLEAN for a discount)
Publix GreenWise gluten-free blueberry waffles (I buy the gluten-free ones so I can have them, too)
Birch Benders or Kodiak Cakes pancakes (both mixes can be found at Target and Publix now)
homemade banana PB protein muffins (you can snag the recipe under my “recipe” tab)
occasionally (usually only on Saturdays) a small bowl of Love Grown or Cascadian Farms cereal (both at Publix and Walmart)
LUNCH:
grilled cheese (on Dave’s Killer Bread sprayed with a little Chosen Foods avocado oil to help it brown) + some fruit
PB + J on the same bread with Crazy Richard’s or Wild Friend’s PB + fruit or pretzels
turkey + cheese using Boar’s Head Oven Gold turkey + fruit
Perdue or Applegate gluten-free chicken nuggets + a few baked chips
SNACKS:
Siggi’s 0% vanilla yogurt + berries and Michele’s Granola (which I get online)
protein shake using almond milk + Kids Shake protein powder (they have vegan, too!)
Back to Nature whole wheat crackers + string cheese
banana coins with PB + a few mini chocolate chips
Annie’s granola bar
energy balls (recipe is here on my site)
Skinny Pop cinnamon rice cakes
DINNER (which is usually whatever B + I are having, plus or minus a few things):
turkey spaghetti*
white chicken chili*
turkey chili (sometimes I sub quinoa for the turkey)*
a mix of ground or diced chicken, brown or jasmine rice, black or pinto beans, and salsa (Reid likes cheese on his, whereas Reagan doesn’t)
turkey meatloaf muffins (the recipe is on my Insta feed) with a little rice and green beans or broccoli chopped up and mixed in (they eat it easier this way)
Annie’s Mac n’ Cheese (they will only eat the shells in the orange box, because…kids. Haha!)
sometimes I’ll add ground turkey to the Mac n’ Cheese for them to make my version of “Hamburger Helper”
diced chicken, brown or jasmine rice, and green beans or broccoli
homemade “sesame chicken” with broccoli chopped up very small (recipe is on my Instagram feed, too)
*These recipes (along with over almost 80 more) can be found in my e-cookbook, which you can purchase/download here.
Now, what do they eat when we’re out and about? Another good question.
usually chicken (I try to get grilled chicken breast and cut it up when I can, but sometimes I just go for the tenders) with either a grain or fries
sliders (both of them love mini hamburgers - just meat and bread, please)
occasionally hot dogs when we grill out (I try to make sure they’re all beef and not loaded with junk) with some chips and fruit
As for drinks, they almost always have 3/4 glass of water with a splash of (no sugar added) apple juice. Reid loves the Zevia drinks like I do, so he’s always asking for sips of those. But they have no problem drinking straight up water, which is good. They’ve never been big milk drinkers, so we don’t even keep “real” milk in the house unless guests are coming.
I think that about sums my kiddos’ diet up! The biggest thing is remembering that they, like everyone else, need to find that balance in their nutritional lifestyle. That’s how you’re going to help them have a healthy relationship with food for a lifetime.
Let me know if you mamas/dads have any questions at all!
XO
