We know that fruits and veggies are good for kids, but have you ever tried to get a kid to eat them? Talk about a completely different story! What if it was as easy to get kids to eat their carrots as it was chips, a cookie, or a popsicle? What if kids could eat their favorite food, and have it be healthy for them? I’m optimistic that by applying a few of these tried and true tips, your kiddo will be on the healthy train in no time (and they might even get you eating a few more servings of veggies too!), making the kitchen a place of happiness, health, and peace of mind, knowing your kids are fueling their brains, bodies and activities with the healthiest fuel on the planet. 

 

 Let’s dive into 15 tips and tricks to get kids engaged in the eating process, excited about different foods, and make healthy eating a delightful tradition for kids and parents all around. 

 

1. Rename foods to sound delicious. Call fruit “dessert”, call water “river juice”, call a plain fruit smoothie a “tropical delight”. It sounds silly, but these simple life hacks can make a huge difference in a kids perception of a certain food. 
2. Make it fun! Keep the atmosphere around food light, happy and exciting. When at all possible, try to not give negative behaviors any attention. Also with an unfamiliar food, they might not like it the first time, that’s okay, keep trying! 
3. Fruit smoothies with hidden veggies. I’m not talking about cabbage or cauliflower here. I’m talking about greens! Throwing greens into a fruit smoothie is a great way to eat up those greens without having to put a salad in front of your kids. Smoothies are a great way to mask the flavor, and enjoy every sip. PRO tip: use mild flavored greens for this, like spinach. Some greens out there are much more bitter tasting to kids and it might not be so hidden if the flavor is too strong, so choosing a mild green will go a long way to getting those servings of veggies in. 1 cup of spinach = 1 serving of vegetables.  
4. “Get-your-greens-in” pesto.  Made with spinach, kale, arugula or any other kind of green; adding in greens to your pesto is a great way to add servings of veggies for kids (and stretch the sauce out too!) Use this pesto the way you may traditionally use it, on pasta, or as a pizza sauce! 
5. Disguise veggies in other “comfort foods”. Mac and cheese with veggies in it? It can be done! Lots of creamy sauces can be made super healthy by adding steamed and pureed cauliflower or zucchini. Try steaming some cauliflower florets and blending them into a “mash” then add them into the cheesy sauce. Voila! You can also do this for alfredo, spaghetti sauces etc. Cauliflower is a somewhat neutral flavored food that can easily be added to tons of dishes! 
6. Cut food into shapes. Whether its heart shaped watermelon, or Mickey Mouse shaped blueberry pancakes. Kids LOVE shapes! Get creative with cookie-cutters to cut up some fun shaped fruits or veggies for snacks. 
7. Kale chips. Forget the veggie straws as a crunchy snack.  (They’re really just cleverly marketed potato chips). Instead throw some kale pieces in olive oil, salt, with maybe a little garlic powder and some nutritional yeast (optional) and bake in the oven on 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes until crispy. These “chips” turn out healthy and delicious, making it easy to get in those servings of veggies. It’s hard to keep track of how quickly these disappear. I’ve eaten a whole tray in one sitting, before I even knew what happened! 
8. Frozen popsicles made from fresh blended fruits. Start by making a smoothie however you like it, with fresh berries, banana, maybe some mango or strawberries, and some sort of plant-based milk, then just pour into the popsicle molds and wait until the next day for them to set in the freezer. These are great things to make ahead of time for a weekend of fun in the sun. 
9. Spinach quesadillas. No matter what you’re making, throwing in some veggies that are “muted” in flavor is a great way to help your kiddo understand that veggies are here to stay. When you’re having quesadillas for dinner, they have spinach in them. When it’s spaghetti night, there are chopped zucchini and red bell peppers in the sauce. Not only does this normalize vegetables, it also begins to change kids’ palates when they are introduced to these servings of fruits or vegetables regularly. 
10. Zucchini bread. There is nothing more fun and delicious to bake than some fresh warm zucchini bread. Similar to banana bread, but with servings of veggies in each bite! Zucchini has a mild flavor that can easily be disguised in this amazing dessert. 
11. Fresh juices. Store bought juices are already processed and have lost so many of their vitamins, minerals, living enzymes and healthy impact that the original fruit or vegetable may have once had. Try juicing your own fresh fruits and vegetables to have on hand. These can be bottled and frozen for later or kept in the fridge for a few days to substitute for those sugary drinks kids always reach for! There are even reusable juice pouches that you can purchase to put your own fresh juices or smoothies in! 
12. Veggie snacks. Bite size nibbles are always a favorite with kids. Have a plate or bowl of cut up veggies and make them super available by having them already prepared in the fridge for a quick grab. Carrots and hummus, cut up watermelon, or already de-stemmed grapes are great ideas for grab and go fuel for after school snacks and quick turnarounds. 
13. Fresh lemonade. Lemons are a powerful fruit for a healthy body! Use 8 cups of water with 2 fresh squeezed lemons and a hint of natural sugar like honey, maple syrup, or coconut sugar to beat the heat and get in all the amazing benefits of this amazing fruit! Keep on hand for those hot days of summer! 
14. Fun straws, spoons or bowls. Have certain dishes that kids exclusively get to use certain items with. Have some fun fruit shaped straws that come exclusively with a smoothie. Or a special bowl that they only get to use with their fruit “dessert”. Kids will feel like they are getting something rare and exclusive, and adds tons of excitement to an otherwise normal meal. 
15. Have a “no thank you” helping. Growing up, this was a consistent tactic my parents used (and successfully I might add). If we didn’t want to eat a certain kind of food or meal, we had to eat a tiny portion of it as our “no thank you” helping. This got us as kids to at least try different foods, and over time, develop our taste buds to like that food. 

 

Last but certainly not least, give it time, and don’t lose heart. Taste buds take about three weeks to adjust to a new taste or way of eating but the good news is that they DO change. Give kids the delicious flavors of real fruit for a few weeks, and when they go back to having processed sugar it sometimes tastes too sweet. It’s the same with salty foods. When your kiddo is eating all the healthy snacks you’ve been replacing chips with, that first taste of a chip is going to be insanely salty. Once the taste buds change, the food preferences soon follow suit, your kid will be asking for fruits and vegetables in no time! 

 

What are some of the best ways to get the biggest bang for your health in a smoothie?

1) Keep it simple. contrary to trending health movements, you don’t need to add a ton of ingredients to a smoothie. Choosing a few high quality ingredients to add to your smoothie is going to allow your digestive track to get started slowly, waking up the stomach and digestive organs to let them begin their day.   Not only is it going to be faster to use fewer ingredients in the mornings when you’re rushing out the door, but your body is going to thank you when it has 2-4 ingredients instead of 10-15 ingredients to pay attention to, process, and digest. Your digestive track is waking up too.  Just like us, it wants to be gently woken up, not given a million tasks to do first thing in the morning!

2) Don’t be afraid of carbohydrates. Granted, there are healthy and unhealthy carbohydrates. Adding spoonfuls of sugar to a smoothie would not be the same as adding in a cup of nutrient packed mango! Fruits like bananas, berries, cantaloupe, mango, kiwi, pineapple, grapes, apples, watermelon, and oranges all have essential vitamins and minerals in them that we can benefit from. The carbohydrates in fruits are easy to digest, and give your brain and nervous system the healthy sugars they need to function properly. Remember the saying “an apple a day keeps the doctor away”? Fruits should not be feared because of their sugar content. A few servings of fruit a day, added into a diet with non-processed foods like vegetables, whole grains, legumes, healthy proteins and fats is key to finding your health again and maintaining it.

 

Power Green Smoothie (Morning) 

2 frozen bananas

2 cups spinach

1 cup pineapple

Coconut water or unsweetened Almond milk to blend

 

Getting some green into your smoothie  is an amazing way to boost your health, especially if you aren’t a salad person, and that added spinach or kale is going to be the only green thing you’ll eat all day. A great tip to keep in mind for your smoothies is to save your fats and proteins (nuts, chia seeds, yogurt, protein powders) for later on in the day, when your stomach has had a little warm up.  Still want your protein smoothie? Do it as an afternoon snack. Once your digestive system is woken up with your simpler morning smoothie,  it will have plenty of digestive fluids moving and flowing, and can handle the heavier foods you’ll eat throughout the day.

 

Pick-me-up Berry Blast (Afternoon Snack) 

1 cup frozen mixed berries

2 frozen bananas

1 scoop protein powder

Coconut water or vanilla unsweetened almond milk to blend

…Just the snack your body needs to get you through the rest of your day; full of vitamins, minerals, healthy carbohydrates easy to digest protein, and bright living food!

Fruits and vegetables are key to a healthy happy life. At the end of the day, it matters less if you steam, sauté, blend, bake, chop, air-fry, or disguise them, than if you are just making sure they are somewhere in your every day life. The FDA recommends about 9 servings of fruits and vegetables every day. Just by adding in 1 or two simple smoothies a day can help you meet this requirement and watch as your health improves! Choosing to replace your McMuffin or breakfast biscuit in the morning with something your body will digest easily, thrive on, and love, is one of the greatest morning routine starters you can make. Getting your day started off on the right foot can lead to a million other great choices…just think of the possibilities!

We’ve all been here. You stayed up too late watching tv and now you’ve got to wake up in a few hours. Or every night you try to get sleep but sleep evades you… Your body is tired, but your mind is wide awake, it’s 2:00 in the morning and you have to be up at 5:30am for work. 

 

“How can I wake up feeling rested, functional and awake tomorrow? How can I get 8 hours of refreshing sleep, when I only have 4 hours to do it in?” You ask yourself. I’ve asked this question in my own google browser too many times…

 

Trust me I’m no wizard, I can’t wave a magic wand and extend your alarm out  to give you four more hours of sleep while still allowing you to magically wake up in time for your job or responsibilities, but I do have some tried and true solutions to offer that will help you get the shut eye you need, train your body to sleep when it should, and perhaps by following one or all of these, allow you to get the beauty sleep you deserve. 

 

1. Give yourself a sleep schedule. Set a time to go to sleep and wake up every day. No matter if it’s a work day or a weekend. Routine helps condition your body to know what to do, and when. Nothing happens overnight but slowly your body will begin to adapt to whatever routine you’ve decided. You’ll begin to feel sleepy at the time that you’ve set to go to bed. This also works for you to wake up at the same time every day. If you do it often enough, you don’t even need an alarm clock! 
2. Create an evening ritual to help your body know that it’s time for bed. One hour before the time that you’ve designated that you are going to go to bed, put your phone and electronics away, turn off the TV, do your evening hygiene routine, read a book, diffuse some essential oils, whatever it is that tells you and your body that it’s time for bed. Then when it comes to that time that you set for yourself to go to bed, lie down. Even if you aren’t falling asleep right away, your body still is getting rest, and that’s a good thing. Evening rituals will condition your body to unwind in the evening so that the sleep that evades you, one day will find you again. 
3. Keep a pen and paper by your bedside table, when your mind is racing with a to-do list for tomorrow, something that bothers you, or the thing you told your work you would do but forgot, write it down. This subconsciously tells your mind that it doesn’t have to stay “on” to remember it anymore. That job is being done by the notepad and now your mind can rest. 
4. Diffuse essential oils. Oils are my best friend, I use them for everything. My favorite part of my nightly routine is picking a relaxing essential oil or blend of two oils to help me calm down for the evening and get my body ready for sleep. My favorite ones for sleep are lavender, vetiver, cedarwood and frankincense. 
5. Get away from electronic screens. There is  a reason for why I mentioned turning off electronics in your evening ritual an hour before you go to sleep. Blue light from your phone, laptop, TV, and tablet disrupts your internal clock and simulates daylight outside. When this happens, the melatonin that the pineal gland usually sectretes at night time either is secreted in smaller amounts or not at all. When this happens it’s really hard for your body to go from “awake” mode to “sleep” mode so suddenly. By turning off your electronic screens, your body gets in tune with the rhythms of nature. Naturally your body will begin to realize that when it’s dark outside, it’s time to sleep! 
6. Make sure you are getting enough Magnesium. Magnesium is an essential macro-mineral that we need in our bodies. Studies are showing that people with low magnesium levels have a harder time sleeping, struggle with insomnia, have restless leg syndrome, and can experience higher levels of anxiety and feelings of restlessness. What you might be missing is this mineral. By supplementing a good quality magnesium into your day or enhancing your diet with foods rich in magnesium, you might just help your body get that restful sleep that it needs! Here at Blossom we love Natural Calm, a high quality magnesium supplement, and eating avocados, nuts, seeds, legumes, dark chocolate (not at night), whole grains, bananas, and leafy greens to boost magnesium in our bodies. 
7. Reduce EMF exposure. More and more research is coming out about these types of energy waves and what they may be doing to our bodies. It comes to us in the form of wifi, cell towers, smart meters, microwaves and the like, and may be interfering with our bodies nervous system function. If your wifi box is near your bedroom, try moving it to a different location. Keep your laptop off at night, and your cell phone either on airplane mode or across the room from where you sleep so that this exposure can’t interfere with the sleep that you’ve earned. 
8. Aim to get sleep during the 10pm-2am window. Your body does incredible work healing, repairing, and restoring itself during this timeframe. Getting one hour of sleep during this window compares to 2 hours of sleep outside of it, as far as deep sleep, repair, and healing goes for your body. Even if your sleep is light, interrupted, intermittent or spotty during this time, at least try to get even 10 minutes of sleep during this window. Your body will thank you for it. Just choosing to spend this time laying down even if your mind is wide awake during this time has immense benefits. If your norm is only getting 2-6 hours of sleep at night, aim to get them during this window. The rest you are giving your body allows it to get to work preparing you for the next day, giving you a feeling of being refreshed and restored. 
9. Get adjusted! Chiropractic adjustments reset the nervous system and take us out of the “fight or flight” stress mode, by activating the parasympathetic or “rest, digest, and relaxation” part of our nervous system. Adjustments keep our nervous system functioning properly, keep us healthy, and help to reduce our stress response so that we are better able to be at ease and fall into that sleep state quicker, stay in it longer, so that our body can repair, mend and restore. Allowing our bodies to get the deep sleep we need so badly. 

 

Our bodies are so amazing. They function for us even under the most difficult situations, adapting as needed. When you can’t sleep, and you feel like it’s your body that is working against you, just know that this is not the case. Our bodies always work for us. They are always supporting us, helping us, and always have our back. Know that when you can’t get any sleep it isn’t your body that is the enemy, because they would never betray us. Something else is amiss. Thank your body for the work it has done for you, and then decide that together, you and your body are going to figure out the solution to whatever is the culprit. Know that your body is an amazing warrior fighting alongside you to find the rest you deserve, and together you’ll discover the answers that work for you. Test the solutions provided above, add your own solutions that you have discovered, and rest easy.

Whole milk, 2%, Almond milk, coconut milk, rice milk, cashew milk, oat milk, hemp milk, or a combination of all of these? 

As far as variety and options go, we’re living in a time when we have a million different choices to make every time we go to the grocery store. Many people are prioritizing their health and stores have risen up to the challenge and provided us with endless brands and types of milks. This is so evident when you go to the milk section and almost have to spend as much time reading labels as you do watching your favorite show or taking a leisurely walk in the park. It can be time consuming! 

What are some key things you should be looking for when you navigate the milk section/ plant based milk section of the grocery store? Are these milks really healthy? Or did some companies just jump on the health food craze and provide a product that appears to be the healthier option but has ingredients in it that you can’t recognize that may be harmful to you? Let’s break it down into simple things to look for on the nutrition label so that you can navigate what milk options are best for your family. 

Whether you are choosing a traditional milk or a plant based milk, here are a few things to look for and avoid: 

Carrageenan: this is an inflammatory additive that should be avoided. 

Natural flavors: there is nothing natural about these! Companies are allowed to hide all sorts of ingredients under this label. Until they are told to be specific about their ingredients, it is best to avoid anything with “natural flavors” in the ingredients list. 

Soy: Many varieties of soy are GMO and can be very inflammatory. Unless the soy is organic, leave it on the shelf! 

Sugar: pay attention to the sugar content of some plant based milks. Sometimes the “original and “vanilla” flavored milks have sugar added. Usually these same brands will have an “unsweetened” version right next to them, grab that instead! 

Conventional cow’s milk: If you’re buying milk from a cow, an additional step is needed to figure out the ingredients. When the ingredients label says “milk” you really have to dig a little deeper and think about everything that cow has eaten, because those things are also in the milk! Look for cow’s milk that is organic, grass fed, and hormone free. Traditionally processed cow’s milk comes from cows that are fed tons of antibiotics, hormones, corn wheat, and soy. If you have any allergies to these products, consider that your milk may contain these things as well, and search for cow’s milk that specifically mentions that the cows were not fed these things. (*note: if the label doesn’t mention that they avoid these things, they probably don’t!). With so many other healthy nutrient packed alternatives for cow’s milk, it is possible to avoid buying this all together. 

Want to skip the grocery store processed milks and make it from scratch in your own kitchen? It’s so easy! Here’s my favorite recipe to make at home: all you need is a blender and a nut-milk bag or fine strainer.

 

Homemade coconut milk: 

-Meat from one mature coconut + the coconut water or 1 cup of unsweetened coconut flakes

 -4-6 cups hot water

-1 tsp vanilla

-2 tbsp sweetener of choice (honey, dates, maple syrup, or coconut sugar)

-1 pinch of salt 

Instructions: Choose a mature (not young) coconut that has meat in it. These are the ones in the grocery store that have the husk removed already and are light brown on the outside. They are usually sold with a score around the outside to make them easier to crack open with a large knife or hammer. Dig out the meat, and place the meat and coconut water into the blender. (or you can substitute 1 cup of unsweetened coconut flakes) Add 4-6 cups of hot water and blend for a few minutes until the water has a nice white creamy consistency. (*tip, the hot water helps the fats from the coconut melt into the water for a creamier milk!) Once blended, pour the contents into a nut milk bag or fine strainer, and discard the pulp. Add 1 tsp vanilla, and 1-2 tbsp your choice of honey, maple syrup, or coconut sugar to sweeten to taste and a pinch of salt and blend again for a few seconds. Refrigerate and enjoy! Lasts about 4-7 days in the fridge. 

Want to try another type of plant based milk like almond milk, cashew milk, hemp milk, oat milk, or rice milk? Just substitute 1 cup of your alternative ingredient into the hot water, and follow the same instructions (soaking your almonds or cashews overnight before blending)! 

Making your own plant based coffee creamer? Just cut the water content in half, and add a few more tablespoons of a natural sugar, and a teaspoon more of vanilla. You can even spice it up with a teaspoon of cinnamon, or add cocoa powder… any variation you can think of to mix it up! 

 

Making your own plant based milks from scratch lets you avoid all of the questionable ingredients from the store that you may find in pre-packaged milks, while delivering you all of the amazing health benefits from the vitamins and minerals of the fresh ingredients that you are using! 

By just paying attention to a few key ingredients on the labels, we can bring our families health to a whole new level, easy as that! #gotmilk? 

5 Ways to Improve Communication and Create a Renewed Foundation in Your Relationship With Your Teen 5: Part 2

 

• Lend a Listening Ear

 

Think about yourself. If someone isn’t a good listener, how likely are you to confide in them? Probably not very likely. Your teen needs to feel like you’ll listen to their questions or concerns respectfully and give them your undivided attention if you want them to come to you for anything. Try to just listen—no matter how hard it is to not jump in and give a lecture. Using psychology, if your teen knows that every time they’ve screwed up in the past (and trust me, they know), they come to you and they get that lecture or consequence (negative reinforcement), why would your highly intelligent young adult come to you in the future when they REALLY need your help and guidance? Answer: They won’t. I’ve seen teens and young adults in college go to extreme lengths to make sure their parents don’t find out about x, y, and z to avoid disapproval and punishment.

When it is time to respond to your teen, try to start with empathy. Repeat whatever they said to you back to them to show them that you’re hearing them and acknowledging their feelings. Then, carefully give advice or talk through how they can respond to whatever they’re talking to you about without judgment or negativity. Be receptive to if they’re listening but don’t get frustrated if they’re not. We want them to be able to figure out problems on their own using their own god given talents. If they’re not listening think of how you’re portraying yourself and what it was like when you were a teen. What would have made you more receptive to listening more to your parents?

 

• The Two-Sentence Rule

 

I tell my parents to use the “Two-Sentence Rule.” Try and shorten “lecturing” to no longer than two sentences. If they’re not feeling heard or are wanting to figure out how to correct a problem they’re having on their own, this is about the length at which I see teenagers truly paying attention to what parents have to say. I see it every single day in my office where a parent goes off on a teen-perceived diatribe to their child only to get increasingly frustrated when their teen doesn’t elicit the response they’re looking for (if there is any response at all). The parent doesn’t feel listened to and the young adult regrets bringing it up in the first place creating more distance between the two. It’s my role to then help both individuals to learn how to effectively communicate with one another so that there is a mutual understanding of what the other person is saying. I know this is not easy as a parent and it will take a ton of practice but 90% of the problems I see in relationships between a teen and a parent is fixed with a small tweak in communication.

 

• Take Emotions Out of the Equation

 

No matter how difficult this may be, especially if your teen has gotten themselves into trouble, do your absolute best to stay calm. Freaking out will do no one any good, and your teen probably won’t come back to you next time they’re in trouble.

Instead of immediately jumping into a protective parent mode, unless it’s an emergency that requires you to do so, stay calm, thank your teen for sharing with you and coming to you, and then respond accordingly. Sometimes this requires you to head to your happy place before responding, and that’s okay. As I said, parents are human too! If you blow up every now and then it’s okay but we don’t want this to be a common thing because of the aforementioned psychological impact of a teen opening up to a parent then receiving negative reinforcement.

• Persistence is key!

Building a long-lasting, healthy relationship with your teen can be hard work, but it’s something that’s necessary. Make sure you’re both on the same page with your communication plan and do your best to be a role model. If you’re interested in guidance for your teen or consultation as a parent please reach out to the experts at our counseling center for help.

 

ABOUT Travis McNulty, LMHC, GAL

Travis McNulty is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor and founder of McNulty Counseling and Wellness whose office is located in the heart of downtown St. Petersburg, FL. Stressed out parents who have nowhere left to turn are his forte as he has worked with thousands of children/teens and their parents to improve communication while restoring loving and communicative relationships. He works with adolescents and young adults by implementing empirically supported cognitive behavioral therapy combined with humanistic psychology to promote balance in the lives of his clients from a holistic perspective. Providing parenting support, guiding communication changes, and collaborating with parents by answering some of the most difficult questions that they face leaves them feeling assured that they’re doing the best job possible as parents.

Travis and his team of expert clinicians are proud to work alongside Dr. Savy and her amazing team at Blossom Family Chiropractic to regularly provide insight on challenging topics related to positive holistic psychology. “Mothers and fathers are exposed to an extreme amount of mental and physical stress that over time throws our entire being out of alignment (pun intended). With all joking aside, this can lead to major negative implications in our health, our relationships, and our ability to care for others, which is why it is so important to seek help from the experts for your physical and mental health.” Call McNulty Counseling and Wellness today for a free consultation, 727-344-9867!