Healthy Fun

My picky toddlers, they are now bribed into eating healthy food. I offer a dessert if they not only try something "new" but also finish all what is on their plate. They ALWAYS have the option, after the first bite, if they don't like it to eat a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. (which gets old really quick for most kids) I don't force them to eat it all, but rather encourage them to try new things and reward them for doing so too. When i was growing up, you ate it or else....you starved. My kids would die before eating it, so I couldn't follow my parent's guidelines, even if I agreed/disagreed with them on this matter. So far, this has worked for me. They eat nearly everything I serve them NOW, but ages ago, they wouldn't eat anything. However, I did discover something too in the process....they will eat the healthy stuff if it is simply fun! So, I would make homemade soups and put pasta shaped characters in them. I found disney characters in a pasta box for only 39 cents a box. I thought it was worth the experiment. When it worked, I went back and bought all the boxes for that price and stocked up!!!! So, i also found pasta in other shapes cheaper than that price and added that to my stock collection. So, we have homemade chicken noodle soup with stars. Vegetable soup with ABC pasta. We have Chili with disney characters and now I have a variety working for me. I love soups, so I have been happy with this new transition.

Heidi