Junkfood Kid

[ivy]

When my ds was a baby I tried hard to give him a healthy, organic diet. But the first time someone gave him junk, that was all he wanted from then on! At the time, dh and I didn't have the best diet and didn't know anything about natural family living. We've changed. Dh is a vegetarian and I go as organic as I can afford to- but food is a constant battle with our ds. When there is no junk for him to eat, then he'll eat only carbs! Bread, pretzels, juice, etc. - so then I have to make him eat protien. (He's ADHD and too many carbs increase his hyperactivity). So, here's my dillemma; how do I encourage my nine year old son to eat a healthy, organic diet and not engage in a food war with him? Because, as you all know, the more you tell a kid he can't have something, the more he wants it.

Any advice, recipes or commiseration will be welcomed.

[daylily]

I have the same problem with my 9 year old. He's been picky since he started eating solids. I don't buy junk food, but he fills up on carbs too and I don't think he eats enough fruits and vegetables. I send fresh fuit or a vegetable to school with him every day and I found out that he often trades them with other kids for chocolate milk! I'm not sure if there's much I can do. I always tell my kids that it's my job to provide them with nutritious food and it's their job to eat it.

You could try hiding vegetables in breads like zucchini or pumpkin bread, but then you're still getting carbs. Or try raw vegetables rather than cooked. My son does love salad, so I make them with a mixture of raw spinach and lettuce and I add frozen peas and he loves it. Sometimes I have luck if I offer fruit with a starch such as apple slices with cheese and crackers. When I'm really hungry, fruits or vegetables alone don't fill me up so I can see why my son goes for the carbs.

[pie]

I have this issue to. Spanky will only eat meat and carbs more of less. We feed him organic meat as much as we can, but like when he eats at the grandmas houses, it sure isn't. I am vegetarian and made the mistake of feeding him meat when he had an iron deficiency... He doesn't eat a lot of junk food but he NEVER eats raw fruits and veggies... we grate veggies into EVERYTHING I can think of.

I also make him smoothies.

It is so frustrating, I know...

[srain]

There's probably not much you can do about what he's eating outside of the house, and like you said, starting a war over it will probably make it worse. But at home, can you only have available things that you feel good about him eating?

[almost40mama]

We've never had too much of a problem with dd eating fruits and veggies, though she does sometimes go through picky phases and she'll only want chicken nuggets or hot dogs (barf!) In these cases I keep some Boca nuggets on hand, and nitrate-free turkey dogs.

Lately, I've been involving her in the meal preparation process. This seems to have greatly increased her interest in trying new foods. I'll sit her up on the counter while I make dinner, and she'll "help." So, if I'm going to steam some carrots/parsnips, I'll wash and slice, then I'll let dd put the slices in the steaming basket. It takes quite a while to prepare dinner, sometimes but when the food she "helped" with is ready, she's very proud and happy to eat what she's "cooked."