Healthy Learning

I'm sure you're aware that I have been on a bit of the health topic lately, if not see my previous posts. However, I wanted to get a discussion started on how you educate your children on healthy living. My family has some seriously picky eaters in it, my brother survived solely on ketchup sandwiches, peanut butter sandwiches and macaroni and cheese. Luckily he's seemed to have grown out of that stage and is willing to try more foods. Citing the example above, I didn't want the love bug to have that type of experience. I want him to enjoy a large variety of foods and cultures. So how does one do this?

 

While I know many of you will groan at this prospect, I take the Love Bug to the store with me. Whenever we pick out a fruit or vegetable, I tell him what it is, let him hold it and smell it. If he's sneaky enough sometimes he even tries to get a bite in! I caught him doing this on Monday with cilantro. I handed him a piece and told him to smell it, the next thing I know it was in his mouth!

 

We are lucky enough to live in an area where agriculture can be seen while driving through town. I explain to him what the farmers are doing, how things grow and when it's time for harvest that we'll get to eat those vegetables. When he's a little older, I'd love to take him to pick his own fruit or vegetables at one of those places. He loves being outside and enjoying nature, so I think he would really enjoy seeing how it comes full circle.

 

The following individual does not necessarily endorse my blog or the way this image is used on my blog.
Attribution: Marek & Ewa Wojciechowscy [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or CC-BY-SA-3.0-2.5-2.0-1.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

For me, the most difficult part is trying to get more cultural food experiences. We try to provide a variety of food that he can be exposed to; however in our little town it can be hard because we are limited. We make curry about once a month (which is great! I didn't have Indian food for the first time until I was 22!), I try to incorporate my Hispanic heritage (which can be difficult as the Love Bug has a tomato allergy) and then the rest is usually meat with veggies. Lucky for me, he seems to enjoy veggies a lot, always eating them prior to his meat. Any suggestions on how I can incorporate more cultural food experiences with the Love Bug? I would love to hear from you on your approach to sharing healthy living habits with your children.

 

Chicken Curry with Rice
The following individual does not necessarily endorse my blog or the way this image is used on my blog.
Attribution: By cyclonebill (Kylling i karry)
 [CC-BY-SA-2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons