There is a very thin line between marketing and flat out lying. As someone who has spent some time in the advertising business I know. I've danced on that line more than a few times. Come on, you've saved like this before and they really aren't going out of business. We use words that compel you to pay attention.

You can use those same marketing techniques to get your kids to try foods that they need to be eating. Let's face it, you don't have to twist a kid's arm to get him to eat pizza, gumbo, or jambalaya.

To get your kids to eat carrots, spinach, beets, salad, something other than chicken nuggets you need the art of persuasion. Here are some of the tricks I have used to entice my kids to at least give certain foods that aren't in the chicken nugget category a try.

Twisted Carrots - They're just carrots sauteed in a pan until they are soft. The twist comes when you sprinkle a little cinnamon on top of them. If you tell the kids it's magic super power dust they just might give those carrots a try.

Whacky Juice- That's basically fruit juice that is watered down so it isn't a mouthful of sugar. You'd be surprised how much sugar "healthy" juice has in it. So, watering it down made it at least a little healthier. Adding the "whacky" made it fun.

Bird In A Nest- This was the only way I could get my son Jack to eat breakfast that wasn't a sugar infused whole grain mess of chemical ingredients. You know how to make these. It's also a fun Saturday breakfast for when you have time to cook.

Bee's Milk- For the longest time I told the kids I had a bee farm and I would go out every morning and milk the bees to get this special milk. All I did was put a little drop or two of honey in some whole milk. It gave it a little sweet taste and I got them to drink their milk without threatening violence or loss of television.

I know these seem kind of stupid but they helped me to expose my kids to some healthy eating habits and to become food explorers. I think if you only allow your kids to eat what they want and you cater to their whims you are setting yourself up for a kid with a lot of grown up health issues. That's my two cents.

The bottom line is you are the parent and your choices are hopefully made with the best interest of your kids in mind. If you have some tips or tricks I'd love for you to share. Chances are there are a lot of new parents facing similar issues and you'd really be helping them out a lot.

 

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