Ask Your Child What’s for Dinner

Whats in this story

Granola and Asparagus

There are days when I look at my children and I am amazed at how quickly they grow and how sophisticated they’ve become.

I guess in part it’s because I’ve never really talked to them like they were babies. In my opinion, baby talk equates to having to teach your child two languages… the one that only you and her understand and then the language the rest of the world speaks. That is not my idea of my child becoming bilingual.

I was talking to my oldest daughter about the importance of fueling her body with the foods that she needs to grow healthy and strong. Even at 6, she’s very aware of her body and has a better concept about healthy foods than many adults I know. So, it never surprises me when she speaks up about not wanting to eat junk food. Yep, you heard me right – my 6 year old doesn’t want to eat junk food. She prefers granola and asparagus…. And she of course loves pizza!

As strange as it sounds, the more I listen to her the more I believe that certain food fetishes can and should be traced back to our childhood. Remember, hearing your mom tell you to “Clean your plate!”?

Even if you really didn’t want to clean your plate, you had to or you’d be sitting at the table for hours. In many ways I see my Mom in myself as I parent my daughters, but one thing I do not do is make them “clean their plate”. I offer them a number of small healthy meals. They’re usually foods that they don’t get to eat every day, like kale, blueberries or humus – three foods that I really don’t like, but foods that I have to give my kids a chance to love.

So the next time you’re scratching your head and desperately trying to figure out what to cook for dinner, ask your child… who knows what they may come up with.