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NEVER FIGHT THE DINNERTIME “ONE MORE BITE” BATTLE AGAIN
Feeding your family healthy, balanced meals can feel like one of the world’s hardest—and most thankless—jobs. Even if all the stars align and you have time to shop for, prep, and serve a nutritious dinner, there’s still a good chance that the meal is going to end with the “just one more bite” battle.
The “just serve them what you eat” approach sounds great, but the reality is that kids often don’t enjoy the same foods that adults do (dinner salads aren’t quite as appealing to a 5-year-old as they are to us!). Still, that doesn’t mean you have to give up and cook nothing but mac and cheese and hamburgers for the next decade. For advice on building a healthy relationship with food, we turned to Maryann Jacobsen, author of the newly released How to Raise a Mindful Eater. Read on for her best tips on how to motivate everyone in the family, from the youngest eaters on up, to enjoy healthy meals (we love the bit about establishing routines!).
B3: Why did you want to write a book about raising mindful eaters?
JACOBSEN: I received many questions from parents with kids obsessed with food or who didn’t know what full felt like. Most of these parents focused on restricting food, which I knew only made things worse. So I wanted to help inform parents of the latest research and thinking on raising children to become moderate and healthy eaters.
B3: What are some easy ways that parents can encourage their kids to eat a wider range of healthful foods, no matter the ages of the kids?
JACOBSEN: I think frequent exposure is the key. Parents can experiment with finding tasty ways to present and prepare nutrient-rich foods. Kids may not always eat the healthy items right away, but over time it becomes food they are familiar with. One study that showed college kids were more likely to eat the foods they were exposed to in childhood even when they didn’t like the items as children.
B3: Do you have any tips for getting family members on board when one parent wants to change the overall family diet towards more fresh and unprocessed foods?
JACOBSEN: I think it’s important not to go too far, too fast. Talk to the family member about why you want the change and ask for input. Then start with small steps and take it from there. This helps the family member from feeling threatened by a complete overhaul he or she may not be ready for yet.
B3: How do you simplify meal planning so it doesn’t feel overwhelming?
JACOBSEN: I detail my simplification process for meal planning in my book What to Cook for Dinner with Kids. Basically, I went through all my recipes and picked my favorites, threw out what I didn’t use, and started to build new recipes for optimal variety. I rotate these family favorites in a 5-week rotation. I have become much more strategic when trying new recipes so it feels less overwhelming. Before this, I had so many recipes saved and randomly tried new recipes that it was hard planning meals each week.
B3: What are some simple shortcuts that make weeknight cooking easier?
JACOBSEN: Prepping food ahead of time, meal planning, and keeping cabinets and kitchen well-stocked all help meals come together easily. Kids can help too, which can help take the burden off parents.
B3: How do you like to involve your kids in the kitchen?
JACOBSEN: My kids are 8 and 10. I assign them small jobs at dinner and have them cook one simple meal each week that they get to choose. They tend to pick either grilled cheese or flatbread pizzas, but they do it all themselves. I’m also starting some baking projects with my daughter. Baking is a great way to get kids started in the kitchen.
B3: What are some organic ways to help healthy habits stick for our families?
JACOBSEN: I think establishing routines are key. Get in the habit of going to the farmer’s market every week and going for walks after dinner. Just make it part of everyday life instead of a chore the family has to do. If kids are resistant, that’s okay. Once they realize this is part of the routine they’ll stop complaining so much!
What are your tricks for making healthy eating fun for everyone? Tell us in the comments below!
Feeding your family healthy, balanced meals can feel like one of the world’s hardest—and most thankless—jobs. Even if all the stars align and you have time to shop for, prep, and serve a nutritious dinner, there’s still a good chance that the meal is going to end with the “just one more bite” battle.
The “just serve them what you eat” approach sounds great, but the reality is that kids often don’t enjoy the same foods that adults do (dinner salads aren’t quite as appealing to a 5-year-old as they are to us!). Still, that doesn’t mean you have to give up and cook nothing but mac and cheese and hamburgers for the next decade. For advice on building a healthy relationship with food, we turned to Maryann Jacobsen, author of the newly released How to Raise a Mindful Eater. Read on for her best tips on how to motivate everyone in the family, from the youngest eaters on up, to enjoy healthy meals (we love the bit about establishing routines!).
B3: Why did you want to write a book about raising mindful eaters?
JACOBSEN: I received many questions from parents with kids obsessed with food or who didn’t know what full felt like. Most of these parents focused on restricting food, which I knew only made things worse. So I wanted to help inform parents of the latest research and thinking on raising children to become moderate and healthy eaters.
B3: What are some easy ways that parents can encourage their kids to eat a wider range of healthful foods, no matter the ages of the kids?
JACOBSEN: I think frequent exposure is the key. Parents can experiment with finding tasty ways to present and prepare nutrient-rich foods. Kids may not always eat the healthy items right away, but over time it becomes food they are familiar with. One study that showed college kids were more likely to eat the foods they were exposed to in childhood even when they didn’t like the items as children.
B3: Do you have any tips for getting family members on board when one parent wants to change the overall family diet towards more fresh and unprocessed foods?
JACOBSEN: I think it’s important not to go too far, too fast. Talk to the family member about why you want the change and ask for input. Then start with small steps and take it from there. This helps the family member from feeling threatened by a complete overhaul he or she may not be ready for yet.
B3: How do you simplify meal planning so it doesn’t feel overwhelming?
JACOBSEN: I detail my simplification process for meal planning in my book What to Cook for Dinner with Kids. Basically, I went through all my recipes and picked my favorites, threw out what I didn’t use, and started to build new recipes for optimal variety. I rotate these family favorites in a 5-week rotation. I have become much more strategic when trying new recipes so it feels less overwhelming. Before this, I had so many recipes saved and randomly tried new recipes that it was hard planning meals each week.
B3: What are some simple shortcuts that make weeknight cooking easier?
JACOBSEN: Prepping food ahead of time, meal planning, and keeping cabinets and kitchen well-stocked all help meals come together easily. Kids can help too, which can help take the burden off parents.
B3: How do you like to involve your kids in the kitchen?
JACOBSEN: My kids are 8 and 10. I assign them small jobs at dinner and have them cook one simple meal each week that they get to choose. They tend to pick either grilled cheese or flatbread pizzas, but they do it all themselves. I’m also starting some baking projects with my daughter. Baking is a great way to get kids started in the kitchen.
B3: What are some organic ways to help healthy habits stick for our families?
JACOBSEN: I think establishing routines are key. Get in the habit of going to the farmer’s market every week and going for walks after dinner. Just make it part of everyday life instead of a chore the family has to do. If kids are resistant, that’s okay. Once they realize this is part of the routine they’ll stop complaining so much!
What are your tricks for making healthy eating fun for everyone? Tell us in the comments below!
