The Cardiologist's Wife

Pimento Cheese, Not Your Grandma's Spread

Pimento cheese is one of those foods that has been so corrupted by the food industry that it has become synonymous with other crappy foods like Spam. I'm not even certain what store bought pimento cheese might contain, nor do I want to find out. It's a shame because pimento cheese can be a delightful treat, even if it does Read the full post…

Plum Good BBQ Sandwiches

In a few days it will officially be fall but the temperatures are still warm enough for me to continue swimming for a few more days. The breeze was a little cool but that didn't stop me from swimming several laps this morning and I felt great afterwards! Have you exercised lately? With fall's cooler temperatures and fewer insects, you Read the full post…

Shingles Vacine and Treatment

A friend of mine was recently diagnosed with shingles so I felt I should discuss this nasty virus once again. If you ever had chicken pox, you are at risk for getting shingles and believe me, you don't want it. Shingles is a painful rash with blisters that scab over and may take 4 weeks or more to heal. The Read the full post…

Vegetarian Tacos are muy delicioso!

There are times when I think I could easily become a vegetarian, especially when I try a new dish that is as good as the vegetarian tacos I had at Local Lime restaurant in Little Rock and the tofu fried rice at Sai Tai here in Jonesboro. My husband and I celebrated our 23rd anniversary this past weekend by spending Read the full post…

Midyear Health Check

Summer is winding down , the year is more than half way over and our January resolutions are long forgotten. It's time for a health reality check. First of all, how is your health lately? If you have enjoyed good health, are you thankful? Take some time to appreciate how wonderful it feels to be healthy, for your family to Read the full post…

Vacation Lessons For A Healthier Life

I'm back from a lovely beach vacation and I wish I was still there with all my heart. Wouldn't it be nice if our every day life was as nice as a vacation? If we could relax, eat well, sleep and exercise just enough without having to worry about bills, work, illnesses and school, our lives would be perfect. But Read the full post…

1 2 3 4 5 6

How To Get Your Kids To Eat Vegetables

[ Post by Lisa Tedder ][ Post on March 12, 2013 ][ In Diet Tips and Better Eating Ideas, For new Mom's ]

Today I’d like to offer some tips on feeding young children and introducing them to vegetables. I see so many young people who not only don’t eat vegetables, they can’t even identify common vegetables. We are raising another generation of poor eaters who will suffer from diet related health problems like obesity and diabetes.

Teaching children to like vegetables is a matter of patience and persistence. You may have to serve a food 10 times or more before Junior discovers how good it is. I believe the first step is to feed your baby a variety of vegetables, not just pasta, meats and fruits. This gets them accustomed to the taste early on and therefore, it is not a surprise when they are older and more likely to object. The next step is to be sure your toddler sees YOU eating vegetables. Children imitate what their parents do. Make meals stress free and never punish your child for not eating or bribe them. Don’t offer sweet treats later however, if Junior didn’t eat at meal time.

Keep foods simple; children often don’t like sauces and heavy seasoning. In fact, children often like raw vegetables better than cooked. This certainly makes dinner preparation easy. I frequently gave everyone a handful of carrots as a side dish when my kids were little. Try serving raw broccoli, cauliflower, celery, sweet mini peppers, carrots, radishes, cucumbers or cherry tomatoes as a side with lunch, dinner or snacks. Older kids enjoy dipping veggies but keep any dips low fat. Try hummus or make your own ranch dip (see recipe below). Children are also attracted to bright colors so having a rainbow selection of vegetables on their plate may encourage them to eat more.

Teens are also likely to eat raw vegetables if you set out an attractive tray with a vegetable dip. I always get a vegetable tray if there are going to be large groups of teens at my house and it always gets eaten. Hopefully these tips will help you raise a healthy eater for life!

Greek Yogurt Ranch Dip

18 oz. container plain Greek yogurt

1 shallot, minced

1 tsp. garlic powder

1 tsp. parsley

1 tsp. dill weed

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. pepper

Mix all ingredients and chill. Serve with mixed vegetables as a dip. Thin with a bit of fat free milk for a salad dressing.