It can be quite a struggle for parents to get stubborn children to eat their vegetables—which is why generations of them have come up with creative methods for sneaking nutrition into their kids’ diets.
In the survey of 2,000 parents with children under 18, half declared a parenting ‘win’ whenever their child requested a healthy snack. 53% said another win was watching them actually enjoying that healthy snack.
These wins could arguably be the most satisfying for parents too, because 55% of respondents agreed getting their child to eat healthy food was “difficult”.
Conducted by OnePoll on behalf of Pirate’s Booty for National Snack Food Month in February, the survey looked at the top tips and hacks parents use to assist them in scoring those parentings wins.
Fifty-five percent of respondents said they’ve employed the “stealth health” technique to help them maintain a well-rounded and nutritious diet for their children.
21% of parents polled really dedicate themselves to stealth health by pureeing, dicing, or even grating vegetables so they can be snuck into a plate undetected.
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Creativity is also key for parents—from slipping spinach into brownies or placing veggies underneath the cheese in pizza. One respondent even said they mix powdered baby food into mac n’ cheese in order to keep their kids eating their veggies.
‘Chicken nuggets’ is another key to stealth health, as twenty-two percent of parents surveyed said they’ve told their children breaded vegetables were chicken nuggets to help persuade the little ones to eat them and 21% said they’ve told their children all meat is chicken nuggets to give them a boost to eat it.
The most successful tip to keep their kids eating healthy, however, is simply allowing them to lend a hand in the kitchen (37%). Any way you slice it, adults all love those satisfying little ways we manage to empower ourselves while raising their brood.
WHAT ARE THE TOP 10 HACKS PARENTS USE TO MAINTAIN A NUTRITIOUS DIET FOR THEIR FAMILY? Survey Says…
1. Allowing your child to help cook meals so they will be more likely to eat them
2. Letting your child pick their own healthy snacks
3. Letting your child pick a few meals for the family to have each week
4. Only letting your child eat dessert if they’ve finished their vegetables
5. Switching the packaging from an unhealthy snack to a healthy snack
6. Bribing your child with a treat to get them to finish their dinner
7. Letting your child put a little ketchup on things they don’t like, so they will eat them
8. Using the “one more bite” rule over and over to get your child to finish their meal
9. Buying snacks with characters your child likes on the packaging so they would be more likely to eat it
10. Making faces with the food so your child will be entertained and be more likely to eat it
Share The Tips And Tricks With Your Friends On Social Media… (Photo by Dan Foy, CC license)
It took me until I was a grand-parent before I could figure it out.
1. Take the reward… something she REALLY LIKES.
2. Set it aside, but still in sight. Let Ms. Finicky understand that if she beats you, then she can have the reward.
3. Fill two bowls or plates with target vegetable (even lima beans and broccoli are known to have worked in this strategy), one for you, one for Ms. Finicky.
4. Whip out the fork or spoon and use it as a microphone.
5. Do your best sports announcer voice, for the race that’s about to come up.
6. Make a dramatic announcement of the race that’s about to take place.
7. Count down.
8. Be excited, as you start to eat what’s before you. Let Ms. Finicky know that she’s falling behind. Do it fast, while the food is in your mouth.
9. Dig in for your next fork/spoonful. Keep up the commentary.
10. If the kid bites (sorry for the pun… almost), take a moment to announce to the crowd that Ms. Finicky has gotten a slow start, but this is how she ALWAYS runs her races. She is a champion eater, so she knows what she’s doing. Let the crowd know that.
11. With each bit she takes, make sure that the announcement is made that she’s in the race, and it appears that she’s already catching up.
12. If she stops to tell you ANYTHING, just shove another untensilful of stuff in your mouth and tell her how you’re going to beat her.
13. With the intention of letting her win “the race,” build up dramatic tension, even if it means you have to get down to eating just one piece of the targeted meal at a time.
14. Make sure she keeps eating.
15. Make the race close!
16. After she has beat you by narrowly defending her championship title, throw down the eating utensil in mock frustration, claiming that NEXT TIME, you’ll beat her.
17. Give her the reward, while announcing that the photographers are all around, taking her picture and that you’re having trouble making your way through the crowd, in order to shake her hand for the race well run.