1) Serve them fruits and veggies
2) Eat fruits and veggies yourself
The next thing I hear is "I buy fruit but it goes bad because they always eat the chips instead . . . "
Drum roll please . . .
Don't want your kids to eat cheetos???? Don't buy cheetos.
I know, I know, easier said than done. Nothing is really wrong with some cheetos here and there (we ate a snack size bag on the way home from Discovery Kingdom and it worked magic on our frazzled nerves) - just don't make cheetos a part of the weekly grocery list.
As long as we are addressing this, let me tell you a story.
My husband, amazing soul that he is, has a serious, scary addiction to tortilla chips. He wants tortilla chips in the house at all times. Drives me crazy but I am willing to accept this since he overlooks the one or two things that drive him crazy about me. Todd walks in the door after work and immediately goes to the pantry and looks for his beloved (and I don't hide in the pantry . . . well, not on a regular basis). The boys have now started to come home and immediately want tortilla chips. UGH.
Yesterday I called Todd on my way to Costco to see if he had any special requests. He always says "chips" and I always say "OK" and then ignore the request. Must have been feelin' good yesterday because I bought a giant bag of Tostitos for him. The entire time I am grumbling under my breath. "stupid chips. watch me run into a client." All of a sudden I realize I can't find my shopping cart. Now I have to wander around aimlessly looking for my cart while cradling the most giant bad of chips known to mankind. And did I run into a client? Nope. Ran into a fellow dietitian. UGH again.
Parents Shape Whether Their Children Learn To Eat Fruits And Vegetables
ScienceDaily (2008-08-13) -- To combat the increasing problem of childhood obesity, researchers are studying how to get preschoolers to eat more fruits and vegetables. One way is early home interventions -- teaching parents how to create an environment where children reach for a banana instead of potato chips. ... > read full article
