HERE TO HELP By Tillie Vuksich Dear Tillie, I need some advice on how to get my kids to eat their vegetables. Our kids are super picky. I wish I could get them to eat vegetables because I know they are important to good health, but how do I go about it? K. -á Dear K., So what you're saying is that you have normal kids, at least as far I am concerned. My kids are part of the "Picky Eaters Club,GÇ¥ as well, but I do have a few tricks to help you out. First, no amount of encouragement, bribery or threats will be as effective as seeing mom and dad eating vegetables. Period! You can't really get them to munch on carrots if you won't. Here's an example: My husband was gone a lot with the military when our children were small. and I fed them vegetables with every meal. They ate it all, but as soon as their dad was out of the military and home for mealtimes, things started to change. He's not big on veggies, and when he starting picking them out of the food I made, so did the kids. It was crazy because they were eating these things until they saw their dad's example. Never underestimate the power of your actions. Kids are watching and will do what you do. Needless to say, I still put veggies on their plate. They eat their favorites and sometimes, as a parent, it's a victory in itself that they even have a favorite. Also, get vegetables as fresh as possible and in season. Nothing tastes better than fresh-picked veggies. Canned doesn't come close, and things that travel long distances and are out of season will taste inferior. Farmers markets are a great place to shop for your fruits and vegetables that will be the freshest and in season. They are a fun experience, too. There is no grocery store quite like a farmers market, where you can actually meet the person who had a hand in growing the food you buy. Check out www.localharvest.org for markets in your area. Growing a few vegetables at home will encourage kids to eat more, as well. Lettuce, radishes and carrots are so simple to grow, and they are a healthy addition to every meal. There's also a way to hide vegetables in recipes so no one knows they are actually eating healthy: Take them undercover. I put spinach in fruit smoothies. You can't taste it, but it does turn it a pretty shade of green. The book, "Deceptively Delicious: Simple Secrets to Get Your Kids Eating Good Food,GÇ¥ by Jessica Seinfeld, is a great recipe book that has many genius ways to sneak vegetables into mealtime. "It ain't easy being green,GÇ¥ but it's worth the effort to get our kids to eat healthy. More power to you.
Tillie Vuksich lives in Eatonville. Send questions for her to ask.tillie@gmail.com
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