On the way home from work I listen to NPR. At least more often than not. Otherwise you would pull up to a traffic light beside my car and see someone tapping the steering wheel, bobbing her head, and signing along with anyone from Madonna to the Beatles. Badly, I might add.
The other day I heard part of the interview with the First Lady. Mrs. Obama sat down with NPR’s Michelle Norris.
Mrs. Obama noted that the White House is a platform for bringing attention to her message for healthy family living: Let’s Move. First Lady wants to communicate that the campaign is about providing information to busy American families.
Dancing with the girls is a common occurrence in the White House, and is encouraged for every one wanting to be healthier. If dancing is not your style, try a walk or a game of soccer in the yard. I know this part of the equation is lacking in my home, so this reminder as the weather starts to improve is taken with a fair amount of agreeability.
Doctors will be paying closer attention to BMIs and handing out prescriptions for vegetables and healthy eating options to parents for their kids struggling with weight issues. Now it’s not just [mom], it’s the doctor telling you to eat your string beans. I get nervous every time a well check comes up for the kids. Big Brother is not a big eater, he would rather be playing than have to sit still at the table for dinner. Little Sister is quite the opposite, at least at this stage of her life. She will eat anything and everything in sight! I prepare a light meal after we all get home after work/daycare for the kids. Being just shy of ravenous makes this time of day the easiest to get Big Brother to try new foods, rather than a hot dog or cheese quesadilla. He does rip through yogurt like it’s going out of style, as well as fruit, so he does eat a variety of foods – just not as wide a variety as I would like.
To learn more visit letsmove.gov or to hear the story on NPR, click here.
midnitechef 
Genetic Offspring has a food sensory disorder. I WISH he would eat more than 5 things!!! The dietitian says there are people who eat less than he does and survive… lol Ahhh the thought of serving String Beans and having him eat them are a fantasy of mine! Yay for little sister, lets hope she is always a great eater 🙂
I think of people in India or Asia who eat rice and fish everyday. It must make it difficult for you, wanting him to eat more variety. Do you have to cook separate meals?
I was just talking about The First Lady’s healthy initiatives with a friend…and how there should be more efforts for the schools to grow their own produce and vegetables on site. Many of my friends (and family) commiserate on their kids not eating vegetables. In fact, one of my nieces automatically chucks anything remotely colorful that comes within a foot of her tray. It’s one of the funniest things I’ve ever seen. But I can’t give any advice – both of my kids are like Little Sister. My 1.5 year old was shoving fistfulls of mixed vegetables into her mouth the other day when she was really hungry. For some reason if I feed them the veggies first (and they don’t see what’s coming next), that seems to work. I also read on a blog once that if you give them 2 vegetables per meal, that they’ll usually pick one to eat. So I usually do that, too. 🙂
I’ve done the “choice” trick with Big Brother when he was still in the highchair. He would pick his favorite then continue eating the other choices because he was still hungry. I’ve also held back the milk sippy cup until they eat some solid food, but that was more so during the transitional feedings (mush to chunky foods). Little Sister is like a black hole, she eats non-stop, although she is starting to slow down now. Big Brother will tend to eat anything with cheese on it, so a veggie puree mixed into pasta sauce and covered in mozzarella flies under his veg-radar. What does your 1.5 yr old love to eat?
My 1.5 year old will eat just about anything, as long as she hasn’t already had it that day. If I give her peas for dinner and then find out later that she had peas for lunch at school, I realize why her peas go untouched over dinner. 🙂 We eat leftovers all the time in my house, so not sure where or why she learned that one. My 3 year old used to eat broccoli like it was going out of style. Now I have to smother it with cheddar cheese in order to get her to eat a few bites. Just tonight I was chopping up red and yellow bell peppers (to put in the freezer) and they both wanted some. So I handed each one a piece of red and yellow pepper. I was shocked (but showed no outward expression of course) when they both ate their raw peppers – sans dip. I literally shoved a piece in my mouth and went, “YUM, that is GOOD! They are so sweet!” My 3 year old was literally BEGGING me for more peppers, lol.
LOL 🙂 I have to convince my 5 yr old that broccoli are trees, then take Kung Fu Panda and say “if you want to be big and strong like panda, you have to eat trees like a panda!” Sometimes that works. Little Sister discovered pickles, she eats the flesh off each spear leaving the cucumber skins behind. At least they are homemade, therefore cheap and natural. Crazy baby girl!
child obesity is such a worry, its great that doctors are paying more attention
I follow Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution, which I think is doing more good than a doctor’s slip would do. Any movement in a positive direction is long overdue, we need to teach eachother the basics of life again… do you know how to preserve fruit? Dry meats? Bake bread? Grow vegetables?
Chef, big brother sounds very similiar to my princess. Big issue in my house to get vegetables in. As soon as something is green- a wall goes up. Tears, lip and all. Drives me dilly!!! Knight says “well, why do you force her.” (he doesnt eat vegetables. “So she doesnt end up like you!!!”
And fruit is an issue. Only eats fruit at school, and i wonder what fruit. That is peer pressure of note. Wont touch fruit at home.
If something looks different- it is ugly!
So it is a constant battle.
I just respond “do i ever give you ugly food.”
She knows that eventually she enjoys dinner every night.
Kids are hard work. Mind you- i have the SAME problem with my man. Except i can not force him to eat!!
xx
Pasta sauce is a good conduit for extra veggies, just steam and puree into the sauce! A homemade soup is often how I get the most veggies into him. He loves fruit and yogurt – I can hardly keep yogurt in the fridge for the week! Now I get Big Brother in the kitchen helping me make dinner (or cookies) and in the garden (he ate arugala straight from the row!). That way it’s more familiar to him come chow time. I hope you can convince everybody to ante up the veggies on their plates! xoxo