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How We Get Our 5-Year Old to Eat Fruits and Vegetables

February 17, 2019 by Laura 14 Comments

This post may contain affiliate links which won’t change your price but will share some commission.

Ah yes. We’ve got a 5-year old in the house again. Slowly but surely, we’re adding more fruits and vegetables into his diet. Interestingly enough, his teenage brothers who were raised in this house from the beginning have become more of a struggle than the little one. I don’t want to talk about it.

It won’t be long now before our Bonus Boy will officially be a Coppinger and I can show you pictures! But for now, just imagine lots of cuteness behind some gorgeous brown eyes and a giggle that turns all of us into mush.

When he first moved in with us, I knew he loved hot dogs, and that was all I knew. Man (or boy) can not live on hot dogs alone, so we began doing some trial and error to see what he might like.

First fruit success: Applesauce Pouches

Where were these gems when my other boys were little?

Yes, they are more expensive than canned applesauce or homemade. Yes, I still make homemade applesauce when I have the chance. But seeing as life has taken a major turn toward the more busy side of things (we have an infant boy living with us now too!), splurging on Applesauce Pouches has been very much worth it! Bonus Boy loves them, the teenagers love them (so there), and as an added delight, they can be eaten without making a mess.

We get them from Aldi, Walmart, or Amazon; and when they’re on sale, I grab varieties that have veggies added too.

Second fruit and veggie success: “Milkshakes”

Everyone knows that Smoothies filled with fruits and greens are a great way to easily get kids to eat (or drink) nourishment. Indeed.

However, if we said, “Would you like a Smoothie??” our Bonus Boy turned up his nose. Inspired, I said, “How about a Milkshake?” Aha! He thought that sounded delicious.

Call it whatever works – we now make “Milkshakes” all the time. Bonus Boy makes them with me, and we’re not even hiding the fact that they are filled with goodness. HE PUTS THE FRESH SPINACH INTO THE BLENDER HIMSELF. Then he adds the strawberries and frozen banana chunks. I pour in milk and a little maple syrup. He pushes the button on the Blendtec.

Then he guzzles down two full cups with a lid and a straw. Milkshakes for the win. Smoothies though? He doesn’t like them. ;)

Third veggie success: Cheesy Taco (aka Green Salad with Shredded Cheese)

I don’t even remember how this came about. I think I had made Taco Salad for the rest of us that day and decided to see if he’d eat any or all of it. I knew he loved tacos, so I told him this was “sort of like a taco.” I tore mixed greens into his special bowl, tossed in plenty of cheese (his favorite food of all time), and stirred in homemade French Dressing (ketchup for the win). He ate it all with a spoon and asked for more.

None of my other little guys ever ate salad at this age, and here this kid is eating his and asking for seconds and thirds. Sweet!

Fourth veggie success: Orange French Fries

Our whole family has learned that Sweet Potato Fries are the best way to eat sweet potatoes. Bonus Boy discovered without any argument that Orange French Fries are pretty tasty dipped in ketchup! Nice!

Fifth veggie success: Yet to come

None of us likes everything, and we can’t expect little kids to love all the green food we know is good for us. Green beans are a no-go for Bonus Boy. Peas, not so much. Carrots, neither raw nor cooked nor when one is pretending to be a bunny. Broccoli “trees” are only fun to talk about, but are not fun for eating. So we’ll stick to what is working, and we’ll try new veggies as the months go by.

Fruit is mostly a winner

Not all fruit, but he does like clementines, apples, kiwi, bananas, frozen blueberries, and a few others – especially if the big boys are sitting at the table eating them too.

It’s important to remember that adding fruits and veggies to a kid’s diet is a process. I remember liking more and more as I got older; I bet you do too.

If your child struggles with eating many fruits or vegetables, don’t fret or give up. Keep experimenting to see what works. Find a new way to cut or serve it. Call it a milkshake instead of a smoothie. Enjoy the ride and know that any fruit or veggie nourishment is better than none at all. You’ll get there!

What are your kids’ favorite ways to eat fruits and vegetables?

 

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What I’m Learning About Natural Home Remedies

April 21, 2015 by Laura 5 Comments

This post may contain affiliate links which won’t change your price but will share some commission.

I’m currently taking the Parent’s Guide to Natural Remedies online course. You guys. I can’t tell you how good this is. I really don’t have time right now to get wrapped up in this course (because hello graduation party, speaking engagement, end of the school year, everyday life, and many summer plans staring me right in the face). But every day or so, I pull up the course and click on another module to listen to – and I can’t stop listening. This information is incredibly helpful to me.

parent guide

I’ve been trying to take some notes as I go. This is a crack up because I can’t write and listen at the same time because I’m afraid I’m going to miss more good information. Thankfully, I can go back and listen to and read the info over and over in this course.

I love being empowered to try home remedies first – before heading straight to the doctor. As the creators of Natural Home Remedies say, we know our kids better than any doctor. BUT, I also love that these ladies share information about when we DO need to take our kids in for doctor’s help. That’s always one of my biggest question marks. How much to treat at home…when to take them in. This course answers that. I’m loving this.

Here are some of the notes I’ve been scratching down. (But I can’t share all the specifics because the information in the Online Course isn’t mine to give out freely.)

~ Fever is Your Friend

I knew some of this already, but I didn’t know how much a fever kicks those healing white blood cells into gear. We should watch our kids’ energy level more than their temperature. Caution flags should go up with babies and when kids get dehydrated. Many more details are given in the course about what to watch for and how to treat.

~ There Are Many Reasons to Avoid Tylenol

Throw out the tylenol. Throw it out, throw it out, throw it out. I knew it wasn’t good, but I had no idea how bad it was. Wow. I’m so glad to know all this information from someone so studied and knowledgeable. Tylenol keeps the body from doing what it needs to do. It’s too easy to overdose, which really hurts the liver.

~ Everything we put on our skin is absorbed into the bloodstream.

It’s just like eating food. If you wouldn’t eat it, don’t put it on your skin. What a great way to help determine the safety of skin products and treatments. (Although I think an exception to this is essential oils. I don’t take them orally, but they are wonderful to put on the skin so they can absorb and get to work.)

~ A Urinary Tract Infection does not automatically mean you need an antibiotic.

There are natural ways to treat these at home first like unsweetened cranberry juice and chamomile tea, plus essential oils and more.

~ Be empowered to know the right questions to ask if/when you take your children to the pediatrician. 

Yes. Thank you. The information shared in these modules helps so much with this.

~ There are many, many options for helping treat ear infections that do not involve antibiotics.

But you might begin with these two ideas before trying anything else: chiropractic care and cutting out dairy. If your child continues to have trouble, then try the many homeopathic remedies mentioned or treatments from a natural doctor.

~ Homeopathy is treatment that works with the body to help the body do what it is already trying to do to heal itself.

I guess I never heard a definition before. I know our bodies were made to heal themselves, and that sometimes when we’re sick we need a little help. I love knowing that homeopathic treatments simply give the body a boost of what it needs so that healing can occur when our bodies are weak.

What I'm Learning About Natural Home Remedies

This Course is incredibly professional, completely thorough, and wonderfully helpful for parents. I am so grateful to have all this information available. The cost for A Parent Guide to Natural Home Remedies is regularly $99, and is well worth that price because of all it includes. I can’t imagine how much money we can all save by practicing all of these home remedies and avoiding doctor bills. Plus, having all this information at our fingertips?? Priceless.

What are your favorite home remedies to use? 

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