Green Earth Organics Blog: February 2015

Tuesday, February 24, 2015

Don't be heavy handed with nutrition talk

I had the best time this past Friday! I was invited to the Valentine's Day party at the local elementary school. I brought a variety of fruits and veggies and led an activity where used cookie cutters to cut out hearts and thread them onto wooden skewers to make cupid's arrows (thank you Pinterest). Do I have the best job or what?!

But was I just playing? No. There’s a method to my madness.

I've learned something in the (gulp) 20 years that nutrition’s been my world. It’s that teaching nutrition isn't the way to inspire people to have healthy eating habits. Sure, talking about vitamins, minerals, etc will change what some people eat. There will be the exception that proves the rule. But it truly is the exception.

I learned this lesson the hard way. When I was a bubbly, enthusiastic nutrition student, I shared my new-found knowledge with anyone and everyone (whether they asked for my 2 cents worth or not). Guess what? Not surprisingly, most people rolled their eyes at me and went on with their same (unhealthy eating) behavior.

I've learned that the most effective way to influence people’s behaviour is to simply serve them delicious, healthy food. And don’t say anything about it.

With kids there is even more opportunity! You see they haven’t had 10, 20, 30 years-of habits that we need to break. With kids, all we need to do is to include healthy foods in fun and everyday activities. To make healthy eating the norm. That’s why I worked to get myself invited to the Valentine’s Day party. Because, it was a fantastic way to infuse a celebration day with healthy food. The kids totally got into it and had a fantastic time. In fact, we hardly had enough fruit to thread on the skewers because they were eating so much of it. I can honestly tell you that they didn't miss baking cookies one bit.

Creating a positive association with healthy eating is more powerful than knowing that I “should” eat something because it has vitamin so-and-so in it.

Recently a study confirmed my experience. They found that kids were less likely to try a food. And, they rated a food as tasting worse, if they were told that it was healthy.

If you’re a parent it’s so tempting to go on and on telling your kids about WHY they should eat a healthy food. But do your best to resist the temptation. It’s more effective if you aren't heavy-handed with the “nutrition” talk.

As the saying goes:

“Actions speak louder than words”.

Kristen Yarker, MSc, RD helps you experience the pleasure (and energy) of healthy eating. After 6 years of only working with the toughest customers (i.e. picky kids), she is now serving adults who want amazing energy to live their busy lives without sacrificing the pleasure of delicious food. Discover how (and get recipes too) at www.KristenYarker.com

www.KristenYarker.com

www.Facebook.com/KristenYarkerNutrition

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Monday, February 9, 2015

5 Tips for Getting Kids in the Kitchen

Getting kids in the kitchen is a great idea. In the short term, many picky eaters are more open to trying foods that they help prepare. In the long term, preparing food is an important life skill that you only learn by doing.

Here’s 5 tips for getting kids in the kitchen:

1. Slow Down: If having your child be a healthy eater is a priority for you, you do need to give it time to happen. “Not enough time”/ “too rushed” is one of the most common barriers I hear to getting kids involved in the kitchen. Schedule it in your family’s calendar – it’s just as important as those piano lessons and soccer practices.

2. Overcome Safety Fears: Yes there are safety concerns with the kitchen. I’m not going to minimize those. Many parents think that keeping kids out of the kitchen is the best way to protect them. However, the best protection is to teach your kids how to be safe in the kitchen. Teach them proper knife skills. Teach them how to be careful around the oven, stove, hot pots and hot liquids. Don’t let your anxiety get in the way of your kids’ learning. Even toddlers can learn how to safely use a paring (i.e. sharp) knife. Nervous about how to keep kids safe in the kitchen? This is a great resource with activities for different ages & skill levels: http://www.bettertogetherbc.ca/learn/tips/new-years-resolution-get-your-kids-in-the-kitchen

3. Explore Together: Use kids’ natural curiosity to your benefit. Learn what part of a plant the fruit or veggie comes from. What does the plant look like? Where in the world does the vegetable/fruit originate? Do you cook it or eat it raw? Explore the internet, your library, even the cookbooks collecting dust on your shelves, to find recipes.

4. Practice Makes Perfect: While it’s impractical to have kids involved in preparing every meal, the more often you get kids in the kitchen, the better they are at behaving responsibly (and safely). I recommend it as a weekly family activity. Not only will your kids be learning cooking skills, but you’ll be spending quality family time together.

5. Pack-Your-Own Lunch: Packed lunches are a natural way for kids to learn to make healthy food choices. Afterall, it’s their lunch, why not have them take responsibility for making it. Start with small choices and gradually let them take over full responsibility. Young kids (kindergarten and grade 1) can choose their fruits and veggies. By grade 5 (if not before), kids can be fully responsible for their lunches including making sandwiches and ensuring all the food groups are included.