Issue link: http://www.wacmagazine.com/i/303138
22 | Washington Athletic Club Magazine | MAY 2014 Nutrition By Shana Hopkins, MS, CN; WAC Nutritionist Healthy snacks for kids Avoid prepackaged snacks. Go for whole foods! D o you have a picky eater? en you may well know that getting your child to eat a variety of foods, especially those veggies, can be a challenge. What's a parent to do? First, understand that children's taste acuity is much sharper than that of adults. In other words, they can taste better than us! Imagine that. is is because a child is born with about 10,000 taste buds. By the time that child reaches adulthood, however, they have only about 3,000 taste buds remaining. So, that bitter kale salad you like can just plain overwhelm the little one. You probably have heard this before, but I will say it again: Repeat exposure is key. It usually takes 10 times before a child will learn to like a food they originally turned their nose up at. at number can often be as high as 20 times. Don't give up! Change it up and serve healthy food in a variety of ways. Steamed broccoli is a whole different veggie than broccoli that is broiled with olive oil and salt to allow the natural sugars to caramelize. Also, try mixing unappealing foods into appealing ones. Take that salmon fillet and flake it into a pasta dish. Understand that repeat exposure doesn't mean your kid needs to try the same food 10 days in a row. It can be 10 times over the course of a six-month period. Require that your child at least tries each food item they are served. Also, be sure to serve them a manageable portion that doesn't overwhelm. Have some fun and call it a "no thank you" portion. Getting your child involved with meal planning and preparation also can help. Have them add to the grocery list their favorite foods from each of the major categories: protein, vegetable, fruit, starch. And no, chicken nuggets don't count as protein. Including them in the planning and preparation will help your kids feel involved and give them options when a food they don't like is served. Lastly, try not to show emotion or push too hard. Showing your kid how much you want them to eat those Brussels sprouts will only make your kid push back even harder. Try to make meal time a place for sharing and laughter. Too many battles over food aren't fun for anyone. Feeding picky eaters Tact and patience pay off when serving kids healthy foods • Raw veggies and dip (many kids like baby carrots) • Celery sticks with peanut or almond butter • Homemade trail mix with dried fruit and nuts • Sliced apple with nut butter sprinkled with cinnamon • Peanut butter or almond butter on whole-wheat bread • Hummus served with whole-wheat pita • Banana with peanut butter • Cheese sticks • Dried fruit • Nuts