Simple Strategies for Picky Eaters

By: Mandy Glasener, Lead Preschool Teacher and Danni Drake, Teacher Assistant

As pre-school teachers, we are all too familiar with this battle. How do you get a 3-year-old to try something new or eat their vegetables? We will share with you some of our tried and true secrets!

The key is to disguise it!

We managed to get a whole classroom of preschoolers to eat their peas and want more! Crazy! Right?

We made pea pancakes.  A savory treat full of fiber, protein and fun!

Focusing on the aesthetics makes it fun for all kids to eat. Can you eat the nose? Who will eat his eyeballs first?

Not only are you making it a learning experience, you are eating healthy right along with your child.

Also, we LOVE Pinterest. We have found many easy recipes that are quick and healthy that the children love and ask for us to make together. Some of our favorites are below!

1. The rice cake face.  You can change it up and use fruit and yogurt too! The possibilities are endless!
2. A favorite pre-school activity is mixing and making zucchini bread is a winner to make for snack time every time!
3. Dips are popular too! This ranch hummus dip is a winner!

We use the hummus as “glue” and go fishing for goldfish with our veggie stick rods! Not only are you eating an amazing, fiber, protein packed snack, you are also having fun playing a game!

Growing a garden (even a few small containers) is a rewarding experience even for the youngest of gardeners. Everything is more delicious when you grow it all by yourself!

We grow our own vegetables here at “The Lily Garden” and harvesting is always a very exciting time. We have tomatoes, pumpkins, cucumbers, zucchini and broccoli  growing this year. In the past we have done rainbow carrots, kale and potatoes too!

Involve your kids in the food preparation and it will make them want to try it too. Research shows that if your child is involved with the meal prep they are much more likely to eat it. Also be a role model and show them that you like to eat your fruits and veggies too!

Please share your favorite healthy snacks in the comments.

Happy snacking!

The Lily Garden Child Development Center incorporates a play-based program philosophy. We understand that children learn best when provided with experiences in an environment that is positive, nurturing and developmentally appropriate. Learn more about the Lily Garden Child Development Center here.

 

 

Top Reasons Kids Make Great Gardeners

By: Vanessa Doyle, Lead Teacher in the Lily Garden Child Care Center Infant Room & Horticulture Coordinator

Pop quiz! Which of these would you like your child to improve on?

1. How to make healthy food choices.
2. How to cooperate well with others and engage in teamwork.
3. How to increase their confidence and self-awareness.
4. How to interact and connect with the natural world.

If you agree with one or any of these statements, your child would be a great gardener.

Gardening has been around for so long that people may not realize the positive effects it can have on our children and us. With more processed and highly sugared foods hitting the table, we are further away from where our food comes from than ever before.

Everyone agrees that eating healthy is good. It makes you feel better, gets you a good doctor’s report and prevents disease. But it can be really hard sometimes. After working all day and picking up the kids from school, going to soccer practice, therapy and homework; taking a swing threw the drive-thru seems like the only option available. But this option is causing a worldwide epidemic of obesity and metabolic disease not only in us but also in our children.

So what can we do to turn that around?

We can start by establishing healthy eating habits young. These habits will last a lifetime.

Gardening is a great way to incorporate real fruits and vegetables into your home. It provides a learning opportunity for children to see where their food comes from. School or community gardens also offer an opportunity to interact with a group to practice socialization and teamwork. Once youth are involved in the growing process, they gain a sense of pride and ownership of what they created. This makes them more willing to try new foods and share. Often school can be an overload of sensory input. The garden provides a relaxing environment for everybody. Children can explore their senses by smelling flowers and hearing the sounds of nature around them.

How do I get started?

• Gardeners are great sharers! Ask friends, family and even us here at Easterseals DuPage & Fox Valley. Somebody usually has an extra plant or two to spare or a packet of seeds to share. If you can’t find any, your local nursery can help or you can order seeds online at Rare Seeds.
• Dedicate an area of your yard to be the garden. If you don’t have a plot of land to dedicate to a whole garden, that is okay too. Containers work well and can grow plants such as tomatoes and peppers.
• Make it easy on yourself. If you have never gardened before, it is as simple as putting a seed into the dirt, giving it sunlight and water and watching it grow.

Happy Planting!

Come by and check out our very own school garden grown by the kids in the Lily Garden Child Care Center at Easter Seals DuPage & Fox Valley in Villa Park.

Other Resources:

http://www.letsmove.gov/eat-healthy

http://www.chicagobotanic.org

http://www.earlysprouts.org