See it. Eat it.

Special Guest Post by my Wife.

The other day the kids were sitting at the table doing an art project, and I was making good use of this quiet time to get some cooking done.  With three small children, I have learned to make quick and easy meals that are filled with fresh vegetables and beans.  Once I got the macaroni cooking on the stove, I began to cut up the red pepper and cucumber.

Soon the kitchen was filled with the sound of chopping, the smell of the fresh vegetables, and the brightness of the colors.  It must have roused their senses, because before I knew it I was getting non-stop requests for pieces of vegetables.  The happily munched and crunched while working on their drawings and chitchatting.  I continued to piece together my pasta salad, which also included corn and chick peas.  Then I brought the bowl over to the table so they could watch me dress it up with some olive oil, lemon juice and basil.  They really enjoyed mixing everything together and quickly pushed the papers aside to make room for their plates.  

I was more than happy to comply, as most parents know how difficult it is to get their kids to eat healthy and nutritious foods.  When my oldest (and most picky eater) proudly proclaimed that he wanted “everything,” well I jumped at the chance to give him some protein filled chick peas.  He ate a good bit of vegetables and beans before he’d had enough and reverted back to his usual preference of plain pasta. 

Success?  Absolutely.  Not only did I get to check “make dinner” off of my very full to-do list, but more importantly I got my kids excited about eating healthy food.