Welcome to the Polka Dot Plate Blog
There’s nothing that makes me happier as a mom (and a Nutritionist) then when my kids eat well. The Polka Dot Plate blog shows you a glimpse into my world as a mom instilling excitement and education into my four year old about healthy food.
Within the past four years we’ve been through many dietary changes. One day he loves eggs, the next day he HATES them. At two, he would happily eat sardines for breakfast (true story), but now Sardines are soooo not happening. Like all aspects of parenting, getting my son to eat healthy foods has taken creativity, thinking outside of the box, building trust, patience, communication and acceptance.
I am doing this blog because I feel that this “food exploration journey” that your child is on should be one of trust, enjoyment and individuality. It is one of the first individual connections to the outside world and the child is accepting it into their own bodies. The child must be able to express there likes and dislikes freely. Once the trust is built and they develop a healthy relationship with food it is in my experience that they will be more adventurous to branch out and discover new tastes and textures. It truly is a journey that takes time but the impact of food psychology on a child’s development makes it something all parents should take seriously.
You might have found this blog out of utter frustration because your kids won’t eat anything with a peel, or maybe the sight of anything green makes them gag. Do you think you have the pickiest eater in the world!? You’re not alone. 70 to 80% of kids fall in this picky eater category.
The struggle between you and your child to eat healthy is a common one. It can be frustrating and seem hopeless, however try not to give up, instead get inspired to transform the way they eat by switching YOUR mentality first.
If you feel stressed about feeding your child healthy or new food, this energy gets passed on to the child and ultimately to the food on their plate. Kids are extra sensitive to energy and stressed out food tastes dreadful. They want fun shapes, colorful ideas, and often an explanation of what the food is before they eat it. Kids experience foods through many senses. My son smells, licks, touches and asks many questions before consuming a food for the first time. Try to empathize with this experience – have you tried something new for the first time lately and had apprehension about it? You might have researched it; asked many questions, maybe spoke to friends to get more info? Well this “new-feeling” comes into play everyday when you introduce “the new” with your child. Yet, they cannot always communicate this scary feeling properly.
The energy you put into your kids diet at an early age is one of the biggest gift you can give to them. Eating well is living well. You provide your children with tools early on to thrive later in their life. With the obscene amount of packaged, processed and energy-striped foods, our kid’s health is challenged everyday. Help them to recognize real food and get excited about learning about food. They will be more apt to make healthy choices down the road. Teaching this to your child early on helps them to make the connection between what they eat and how they feel. This is a boomerang gift back to you because this alleviates the nagging you have to do in their teenage years to slow down the junk food. When they are responsible eaters early on, they often stay that way later.
Each post will include a short video, recipe and benefits of chosen food on the polka dot plate. I’ll also include some extra tips to continue educating your kids about why they should eat healthy.
I encourage you to get your own polka dot plate or any eating tool that your child is attracted to and try these recipes and tips!
