A Hearty Appetite!

Friends,

I'm excited to have Leigh Miller as my guest blogger today! She has a passion for helping parents who have picky-eater kids! Leigh has been working in the area of nutrition for over ten years. Blessing and Bon Appetit! ~Lori

My  granddaughter is a "picky eater".  Cecelie has her favs: noodles, gold fish, chicken nuggets. Sometimes…on her daring food days, she’ll ingest apple sauce and bananas. Her parents are just happy she will eat  ANYTHING!

Sound familiar?

As parents we want to give our kids the best opportunity to thrive.  We help them with homework. We give them music, ballet, swim, tennis, hockey, or gymnastics lessons. We drive them to games, practices, and play dates. We buy them the equipment for their activities. If they have a struggle, we tap into the appropriate resources, like tutors, to solve the issue. We are our kids’ number one cheerleaders!

But we forget one of THE most important life-habits we can teach our children is… how to eat well. 

Being healthy is the framework for thriving in ALL the other parts of their lives from academics and sports to self-esteem. 

My passion is nutrition.

One day, I tried a little experiment. I offered Cecelie, a healthy, rainbow-colored snack served in a red, rubber, heart-shaped muffin tin.She was immediately intrigued by the unusual presentation. She began by exploring the content of each heart.

   

My daughter was amazed as she watched her daughter pick up a raspberry, admire it, and pop it into her mouth! Cecelie dipped carrots into humus and licked the hummus as if it were a lollipop. She scooped peanut butter with apple slices and munched away on the fruit and veggie gummies. She ate more colors in one sitting than she had in her whole life! 

Food presented this way is enticing to try.....even just a little bite. It's very common for a food to have to be offered a number of times before it is accepted. I think a key element in getting kids to be more adventuresome is to keep putting things "in the muffin tin" and not making a big deal about it. No pressure.

 

And…like any behavior, a parent who models great eating habits is a critical component to the child having great eating habits.

Take your kids to the produce isle and talk about all the colors, shapes, and sizes of the produce. Encourage curiosity by asking, “What do you think this tastes like?” Then try them together. 

Presentation, introduction, reintroduction, modeling, low stress, enthusiasm, and fun are all apart of encouraging kids to eat well.

Dear Friend,

 I pray that you may enjoy good health

and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well.

3 John 2

Parents, how do you deal with the picky-eater syndrome?

By,
Leigh Miller

About Leigh Miller:
Leigh is married with four "kids" ranging from 20-30 in age. She also has a son-in-law, two grandkids, a dog, and a grand-dog!Leigh graduated from Miami University, Ohio. She has been working in the area of nutrition for over ten years. She loves to empower families to live healthier lives. Her other passions include golf, Bible study, her sorority alumni group, cooking and travel. Leigh has lived in over twenty cities in the USA, Canada, and Europe. Leigh and her family have lived in Littleton, Colorado since 2000. She considers it her favorite place to call home!

Pop over to Leigh’s website if you would like more nutrition information.

One more announcement for my readers:
If you are interested in receiving a free guide that contains 26 ideas to gain KID cooperation in your home, subscribe  to my ministry blog as well, found at http://www.1Corinthians13Parenting.com The 1C13Parenting Team is made up of 6 family and faith experts!
Faith, hope, and love,
~Lori