Meal times can struggle if you let it. As a mother, I should call my creative food goddess with my son when he was acting “picky” about certain foods. With a background of culinary nutrition, it is my responsibility to make sure my kids get the vitamins and nutrients he needs. Why? Because I tried to fight childhood obesity … I do not want him to suffer from chronic illnesses such as diabetes and cancer, etc. Sure, I can not control what he will eat all his life, but I can control it now. So let me with it and share some tips for building healthy foods voters.

1. Food / feed should not be fighting. So I did not make one. I do not mind if Fynn leave food on his plate, because I believe he knows when he is full. I reminded him that he could not graze together and eat all day. It is time to eat, and that’s final. (I make sure I keep this promise.) I did not scream or take time out from it. Ever. Eating should be a positive experience.

2. When Fynn not going to try a certain food, I make a game out of them. We threw the cup edamame beans from one another, we line them up and count them, we try to stack them. Ta Da! They began to enter the mouth of Fynn and disappeared.

3. I allow Fynn to say he does not like something. He tries most everything, but when he doesn’t want to eat something, I either save it for later, eat it or mix it into another meal later on. It depends on the food he says he doesn’t like. Sometimes, when Fynn doesn’t like something, it’s because it is plain or raw and he would just rather have it cooked with something else. I have done studies here.

4. Present! Present! Presentation is everything. People usually eat with their eyes and children are no exception. Make your meal look like art and you got a curious kid.

5. I feed my son whatever I am eating. There is no children’s menu at the house because I am not a short order cook. There is barely time to prepare one balanced meal, afterall. It’s not easy being a parent and meal times can certainly be hair-raising when you cater to everyone’s different tastes. When I was growing up, with my 7 siblings, we had two choices: Take it or Leave it. I didn’t always like what was on the table, but I ate it because I knew I was not going to get anything else. And I did not like going to bed hungry. I really appreciate my mom for not backing down when we didn’t want to eat what was on the table. It’s not an easy thing to do.

In a time where our children will be buried before their parents, we have to make sure our children are getting the best nutrition we can give them. Many of us know that there should be breads or grains, fruits and veggies, meats or other proteins on every plate, at every meal. If you are not a cook and intimidated by recipes, check out a recipe book at the library or ask a friend for help. The first step of raising a healthy child is making them curious about food. Take the time to introduce them to new foods, talk about foods and learn about different cultures. Happy and healthy dining!