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8 Tips for Kids to Improve the Health of Kids Who Are Picky Eaters

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A little girl that is sitting in the grass

My kids subscribe to a special diet. I regretfully call it the chicken nuggets and french fries diet.

I feel like we do everything right, but they are at a stage where they want to eat all the world’s fake food, and they refuse to eat anything else.

I jest. There are plenty of things they eat besides chicken nuggets and french fries (mostly because I only allow them to eat those once a day, and not even every day).how to improve your kids health

During this season of their life, I have a few strategies to keep them healthy.

  1. Feed them L’il Critters Gummy Vites Complete. Allie’s favorite line is 2 is ‘nough. She knows she’s allowed to have 2 gummy bear vitamins per day. They aren’t intended to treat or cure any disease, but they add healthy nutrients that they otherwise might not get. The best thing is that they’re real gummies – no water or pills are required for them to get a healthy dose of essential nutrients.
  2. Keep them active. Kids who get lots of exercise get hungrier than kids who lay around. Hungry kids are more likely to eat whatever healthy food you put in front of them.
  3. Offer lots of low-fat dairy products. My kids love yogurt mixed with fruit, and they love milk and cheese. Go for lower fat options when you can, but dairy is an important part of a healthy diet.
  4. Start small. My kids love fruit, so I offer them fruit with every meal. It’s a move in the right direction.
  5. Offer healthy food at every meal. In addition to fruit, I offer them a small amount of vegetables at most meals. It might be a few broccoli florets or some carrot sticks, but it’s on their plate.
  6. Forget the power struggles. Some kids won’t eat the healthy foods simply because you say they have to. Put the healthy foods on their plates, but don’t tell them that they have to eat it. Maybe they’ll eat it; maybe they won’t eat it. Pretend you don’t care one way or the other.
  7. Lose  the junk food. If there are no chicken nuggets to eat, and they are hungry, your kids are going to eat whatever you put in front of them.
  8. Hide the vegetables. The goal is to get some veggies into their bellies, right? Ultimately, I want them to eat vegetables because they like them, which is why I put a small amount on their plates. However, I am not above hiding veggies to trick them into eating them. Minced onion cooked with ground beef or shredded chicken. Pureed squash mixed with spaghetti sauce or the cheese sauce in mac and cheese. Pureed soups (like this cheesy cauliflower soup.) Brands of juice that include veggies in the fruit juice. I try all sorts of things. The trick is not to put in so much that they notice, but enough that they get a healthy serving.

Made in the USA from natural fruit flavors, L’il Critters gummy vitamins offer a robust portfolio of vitamins, minerals and other dietary supplements to help meet your kids’ health needs.  The makers of L’il Critters also offer a grown-up version called vitafusion available in a variety of blends for different stages of life. L’il Critters and vitafusion gummy vitamins are available at club stores, mass merchandisers, drug and grocery stores nationwide including: Costco, Walmart, Target and Walgreens. More information can be found at www.gummyvites.com. 

* These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

I received free product and payment for this sponsored post. All opinions are 100% mine.

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Comments

  5. courtney b says

    we go to the gym everyday, and we put the kids in the kid gym where they get to work out and have fun !:) works perfectly every work week day

    Reply

  7. Denise L says

    We cook a lot! That helps us avoid all the harmful ingredients in processed food and allow us to pack tons of fruits and veggies into our daily diet.

    Reply

  9. Lauren says

    One way I try to incorporate healthy foods into my son’s life is to let him pick out a healthy recipe for us to make. He loves to cook, so he is more likely to try and eat foods that he has helped prepare!

    Reply

  11. Erika says

    My family and I are trying to eat less processed food and more good, natural stuff.

    chambanachik(at)gmail(dot)com

    Reply

  12. Nicole Dz says

    We participate in outdoor activities as a family like sports. We also eat and maintain healthy diet. And when cooking at home I sneak in the veggies into recipes without the kids suspecting a thing. We make most of our meals in our home, and limit takeout.

    Reply

  16. Sarah says

    You know how they say you shouldn’t snack in front of the TV? I use that to my advantage and give them bowls of baby carrots, cucumbers, etc. which they mindlessly eat while they watch.

    Reply

  23. Elle says

    My tips are to stay active, take a daily vitamin, eat whole foods and lots of veggies/fruits and always make sure to wash your hands.

    Reply

  25. Susan Smith says

    We take a multivitamins vitamin, drink plenty of water, eat lots of fruits and vegetables and get daily exercise.

    Reply

  28. Kjerstina says

    Dr. Christopher’s kid-e-mins are an awesome whole food liquid vitamin full of amazing greens that I would never get my toddler to eat, like kale, spirulina, and many more. I mix it in his milk and juice, and sometimes mine 🙂

    Reply

  31. Sally Wolfe says

    Great ideas! I found an organic chocolate flavored drink box for kids made w all natural protein/vege/fruit blend, and they love it. Nice to find ways to get good things in their belly! They still get vitamin gummies too!

    Reply

  32. Darcey says

    I make all of our food and have been working to get all the processed food out of our diet. We have a couple acres of land and the kids are outside all the time. My boys love baseball and have been playing soccer also.

    Reply

  34. D Schmidt says

    We try to maintain a healthy lifestyle by drinking lots of water, taking regular exercise and being careful about what we eat. We also include multi vitamins of course 🙂

    Reply

  46. shelly peterson says

    we eat more fruit, veggies, healthy snacks and drink lots of water. we try to go on daily walks.

    cshell090869 at aol dot com

    Reply

  51. Krista M. says

    Take lots of walks and drink lots of water! Keep healthy food in the house because if it’s there– you eat it. 🙂

    Reply

  52. Neiddy says

    My strategies to keep healthy are: Take a multivitamins, Eat balanced meals, Stay active and drink plenty of water

    Reply

  64. Dandi D says

    I try to make sure we get leafy greens and lean proteins at most meals, and we take a family walk every night.

    Reply

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