Many kids are struggling with obesity and others are picky eaters who don't get the nutrition that their growing bodies need. Bob talks with Zonya Foco, a dietitian and author of Lickety-Split Meals for Health Conscious People on the Go, about fun and interesting ways to get kids to eat healthy.
Be a role model. "It is not so much what you say, it is what you do," Zonya says. "From what you are eating and your activities—how you prioritize your time, how much TV you watch—those are all great things we need to be a role model for."
Make food fun. Play a game with your kids and call "spinach" something like "giraffe leaves." Zonya says her 7-year-old son loves pretending to be a giraffe and eats spinach all the time. "I hold them up over his head like leaves from a tree and say 'Can you eat like a giraffe? Show me how long your neck [can reach] like a giraffe,'" she says. By making food fun, Zonya says her son ate 40 spinach leaves in one sitting!
Don't reward with candy. Zonya says giving candy to kids as a reward is part of our culture and it is time to change. "Change the health culture of your home by having a big, giant fruit bowl on your kitchen countertop—and I mean full of fruit," she says. Encouraging kids to eat two pieces of fruit a day instead of candy is a great way to establish a healthy habit for life.
Try new fruits and vegetables. Kiwi, star fruit, acorn squash and other more exotic items from your produce aisle are fun ways to get kids to eat healthy. "Pick something you have never had before," she says. "Get them involved in the cooking and make it fun!" Zonya says.
