Kids Are Picky Eaters, but These Tips will Help You Make Sure They Are Getting the Nutrients They Need   Getting the Kids on Your Side Getting kids to eat healthy can be a challenge. It seems everywhere you go high sugar and low nutrition foods are screaming out for their attention. So instead of arguing with the little ones, why not start today and show them how to make wise food selections for every meal of the day. This is a great way to get them on your side and teach them to follow healthy eating habits for a lifetime. The best way to do this is the get them involved in meal planning, shopping for groceries and preparing the meals. While it may be difficult to bring them on every trip to the grocery store or prepare every meal, but most importantly letting them do something every now and then makes them part of the decision making process. They will be more interested in giving opinions and making healthy food choices if they know their input matters. Check out these simple ideas to get your children involved with daily meals. Ask your kids to pick out their favorite fruit or vegetable and you’ll pack in their school lunch. Allow them to select one healthy side dish with each meal. It can sliced peaches, canned beans, fresh strawberries, it doesn’t matter. This gives them a better understanding of what a well-balanced meal should look like on the plate. Encourage them to be involved with preparing the meal. It can be as simple at peeling the husks from the corn or counting the potatoes for mashed potatoes. Ask your kids to select a simple recipe they would like to make for dinner. Making rice or spaghetti sauce are always winners. One of the benefits of having them help to make the meal is they will eat it without complaint or hassle.   Include a Fruit or Vegetable with Every Meal This little secret is an excellent way to help your little ones to eat more fruits or vegetables. For example, toss in some dried cherries into the rice side dish or add chopped mushrooms to the green beans. Also, consider putting a 21-day restriction on purchasing any pop or soda every month. The reason is it takes 21 days to create a new habit. You’ll soon find if these high sugar drinks aren’t readily available in the house, they won’t be craved. During this time simply switch from carbonated beverages water or 100% natural and freshly squeezed fruit or vegetable juices your children will not crave pop or soda. Drinking a glass of juice is a great way to add 1 – 2 servings of fruit or vegetables to their diet daily.Also, be a good example to your kids. This doesn’t mean you have to give up your favorite indulgence. For example, snack on an apple while taking your children to school or pack a [...]

3 Amazing Tips to Get Your Kids Involved in Making Healthy Food Choices!   Kids love to be actively involved in doing stuff. So by giving them fun activity to do is a great way to teach them how to make healthy food choices. So check out these fun and exciting interactive tips to encourage kids to established routines that will remain with them throughout their life.   Tip #1: Grow Your Food Get the kids interested in growing their own food and gardening. This doesn’t mean they are growing 2 acres of corn or harvesting tart cherries, but simply a small garden on the back deck or backyard. Plant the easy stuff like tomatoes, beans or maybe an indoor herb garden. The purpose this kid garden is not feed your family daily, but to get the kids to eat some of the freshly grown produce. You’ll be amazed how they’ll soon start watching the tomatoes ripen or the beans grown.   Tip #2: Start Fruit and Vegetable of the Week A weekly schedule is a creative to get your kids to eat fruit and vegetables regularly. It also is a great way to introduce them to new foods. It’s simple to implement. All you need to do is select a fruit or vegetable at the beginning of the week and try to eat it throughout the week. For example, if you select carrots and apples. You could include raw carrots in the kid’s school lunch and cooked carrots with dinner. The chopped apples with peanut butter could be enjoyed as a quick after school snack. They also make an excellent side dish for dinner, too. Simply heat up a sauce pan, toss in the apples with a little brown sugar. Cook until they are softened and serve. In addition to eating the fruits and vegetables of the week, teach about the natural health benefits of each particular food. For example, did you know that apples can help with asthma? Or tart cherries are a natural source of melatonin, they are can help with sleep. Learning little health facts, make it fun for the kids and also helps them to understand the importance of how fruit and vegetables help them stay healthy. Check out How to Get Your Kids to Eat Healthy post Here is quick list to help get you started with your weekly calendar.   Weekly Schedule: Fruit and Vegetable Schedule Health Benefit InformationFruits and vegetables are great sources vitamins and minerals to maintain a healthy body in both adults and children. Teaching your kids about eating a balanced diet is vital to maintain a lifetime of good health. Tip #3: Daily Eating ChecklistsCreate healthy eating checklists daily. This will help you and your kids to better keep track of and manage healthy eating habits.Here are just a few easy-to-use worksheets to help you started. Each checklist helps to keep track of how your household including fruits and vegetables into their daily meals. Health [...]