How to get your kids to eat just about anything.

Last night I was on twitter (as usual) and was talking to all the nice people out there. I got into a conversation about bees, that turned into goats, then into broccoli, then into getting kids to eat it. (Yes is was one of those circle conversations. The ones that go around and around forever and build off one topic then another and so on.)

I talked about how my kids will eat anything. I told them how I did it. So I got to thinking that it is important to let every one know how I did it. But also I am not a Doctor, nutritionist or any thing like that just a lowly Emergency Medical Tech (retired).

I have rules to follow on the baby food part of this. 1. No Honey ever. (Babies can get sick from it.) 2. No meat in the veggies at all. This means bacon grease and fat back too. 3. Texture- it must be smooth at first and gradually build to chunky. 4. No hot dogs or any thing hard your babies air way is as big around as their pinkie finger.

To start them off I did starchy foods like dried beans, baked potatoes, carrots, green peas and such. I mashed them really fine into a paste. I would add a new food every two days. I would also keep the texture completely smooth to avoid chocking. I did not force them to eat anything (they were still getting plenty of milk at this point.) When they got bigger they ate what we had on the table. The meat was always mixed in with the potatoes or beans so they did not have to chew it.

To get my kids to eat when they are  a little older I make up names for foods. Broccoli is baby trees, turnips are roasted icicles, green peas always go into a mashed potato nest and are called bird eggs. Finger foods are great at this time too. Make it fun. If you get inventive to get them to eat just one bite of something they normally will eat it again. I have to play hide the veggie for my husband. He is my picky eater in this house. My two children will eat any thing you put in front of them. I also have them watch cooking shows like Iron Chef America and Good Eats. We get one thing at the grocery store that we have never tried every trip. At the major grocery shopping visit they get more than that. They help plan the meals and cook them too. If you get them involved they are more likely to eat it.