tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14962422.post1190174070863915827..comments2023-09-20T11:39:52.182-04:00Comments on Crunchy Granola: Children and Food, Part Twosusanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12000470374101306070noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14962422.post-31358438188535119102006-10-13T10:00:00.000-04:002006-10-13T10:00:00.000-04:00Well, everything needs to be balanced within the k...Well, everything needs to be balanced within the kid/family context: in a lot of ways, you and I share the same values about food, but because of our different families, they play out differently--you head for the minimal calorie/high nutrient foods while I look for high calorie/high nutrient, often willing to trade nutrients for calories at certain points. Much less so now--we're finally at the point where we are limiting desired foods to promote nutrition (last night, at a pot luck, I poured her a small glass of soda, and then after that it was water only). We might all agree that limiting stress is good, but what stresses CG might not stress Ripley or Tate and vice versa. CG will try most foods on her plate over time, just if they are there and she sees other people eating them. I think small servings are such a great thing--they're an invitation to taste a bit, and those small tastes are often the first steps to a new food.susanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12000470374101306070noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14962422.post-31619493937074700542006-10-12T23:08:00.000-04:002006-10-12T23:08:00.000-04:00So, I went back and read the previous thread a bit...So, I went back and read the previous thread a bit 'cuz I didn't see all the comments before. And I realized I said "I think this works well for all parents" - meaning your statements about de-stressing - and then proceeded to give my own practical techniques. Which won't work for everyone, and may cause stress! So pthhhh on me for not re-reading what I wrote before I posted! <br /><br />Anyway: my mom tried a technique I liked for myself and my sister, although (so far) less success with my son. We got a teaspoon of each thing at every meal, and we had to eat everything on our plate. A teaspoon is nothing; I remember occasionally dramatically "gagging" things down with milk, and my mom would explain that that was rude because it hurt the cook's feelings. However, once we got that teaspoon down, we could have seconds of the things we best liked. That's the way mom introduced new foods; and it takes however many servings (3? 10?) before a kid starts liking a new food, so the wisdom goes. <br /><br />On top of that, however, I was incredibly well suited to trying new cuisine, if just a teaspoonful at a time. In other words, seconds of nutritious dinner food was the reward for trying new things. We each were given three "outs" though: 3 foods we just wouldn't touch. They were posted on the fridge, though, and couldn't be negotiated during a meal - only after. Mine were brussel sprouts, marmite (who knows why: not a staple), and turnips.<br /><br />I also agree with not making dessert a reward for the meal. My son will happily forgo supper for dessert, so I've got another strategy: when there's known dessert which distracts from dinner (ie: pumpkin pie at thanksgiving), then the size of the dessert is proportional to the size of the meal he's eaten. With reasonable assumptions about he can consume, obviously. <br /><br />Of course, we have different food issues than CG, in that we're an easily sugar addicted, insulin resistant, and BMI heavy tribe. So exercise and fruit and veggies with sugar and "junk" being rare is extremely important... We drink water or skim milk or iced herbal tea, not more than one glass of juice, etc. etc. Calorie minimization with high nutrient yield is our deal.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com