[krisperry]

Hi!

I'm new here and have a few questions. Taking a look at the boards, I figured my questions might be best answered on a board of mamas

I had my fourth and last baby just a few weeks ago (on 5/13). I finally feel motivated to lose weight and change my lifestyle. I just couldn't seem to focus on it when I knew I might have another baby and gain mucho weight back

I am not planning on a "plan" but do want to rid my house of all the sweets, and white stuff. I must admit that my kids are use to having pasta and crackers and lots of refined carbs, so I am a bit nervous about overhauling everyone. I don't want to keep it in the house though b/c I'll eat it!

Anyone else tackled this problem? Any whole grain brands that kids prefer?

Thanks mamas!

[Inca's Momma]

Just wanted to say hello and welcome. Sorry I don't currently have any children so I can't answer your questions though.

[GreatBigMonsterMomma]

My kids really only know the whole-grain stuff, to be honest. I don't keep a lot of refined stuff around (gets worse while I'm pregnant, though). I can tell you that my extreme dislike of white bread has its genesis in my childhood. Whole grain stuff just tastes better.

[krisperry]

nak

Thanks for the warm welcome :-)

Funny, one of the things we have always eaten is wheat bread, my kids won't touch the white stuff.

Just wondering about replacing things like goldfish or the crackers that they eat with soup?

My 7 yo loves all veggies but the boys (2 & 4) aren't so crazy about them. What do yall do to get veggies in your kids? I've planted some grape tomatos this year in our garden; hoping they are a hit. Also planted some eggplant to use in spaghetti and such (to sneak in the veggies lol). Any other suggestions are welcomed!

[almostheaven]

It may be harder to get all the kids to jump right into a drastic change in their complete diets. You could try changing one or two things at a time however. Let them get used to the idea of say water instead of soda. Try it gradually by reducing from soda to flavored waters then to regular water. Then change another item once they've become comfortable with that.

[nweisha]

Hi there, welcome! I am also a mommy, I have a 4 year old & a 15 month old. Unfortuantely, my kids & husband HATE veggies. The only way that I can get them to eat veggies is to LIE!
WHen I make mashed potatoes, I do about a 50/50 mix of mashed potatoes & cauliflower puree (this works well with both the instant & homemade kinds). I also puree italian squash in things like spaghetti, lasagne, etc. Casseroles that are veggie friendly are great too tuna casserole, beef stew, etc.
Something that has worked for my daughter lately is giving her the veggies as a first course. She absolutely loves my cooking, so she is willing to eat her veggies first to get to have food. At first I would give her all of her food at once, then she would say that she was done & I don't want to be one of those mommies to tell the kid "finish your plate", so this way she fills up on veggies first.
GOOD LUCK!

[gray eyed girl]

I'm new here too. Congratulations on your new baby!

My kids love pasta and crackers too. I've switched out their plain pasta for whole wheat pasta and they don't seem to know the difference or mind at all. A friend of mine turned me on to a snack called "Veggie Booty" which my kids love. It's puffs of rice and corn, with spinach and kale. They also make "pirate Booty" which has cheese instead of vegetables, and "Fruit Booty" with several kinds of fruit. You can find it at Trader Joes, Whole Foods, or Wild Oats. My kids love dried cranberries and apricots, and both of them love fresh pears and bananas. My son is a carrot fiend and also likes broccolli. My daughter is tougher with vegetables but if I top hers with a little bit of shredded cheese, she'll eat them. I've started buying whole wheat crackers, too. HTH.

[hautbois]

Welcome and congrats on your new baby!!

I'm a first-time mom-to-be, so I can't offer advice on children, but I do have a husband . Like the others, I find sneaking in healthy food is about the only way. I also switched to whole-wheat pasta, and he has yet to noticed.

[GreatBigMonsterMomma]

My girls love tomatoes. I think grape tomatoes are an excellent idea, because they just look like a good snack. I also peel up cucumbers (I know, lots of vitamins in the skin, but I can't stand skin-on cukes) and with a little bit of vinegar sprinkled on them the kids will fight me for them. Since you've got a garden, you might want to try & get them involved in that if you haven't already; I know as a child I ate the most vegetables when I grew them.

I think kids also tend to like crunchy things, so classics like celery & carrot sticks are always a good idea, & if you can find jicama (I've seen it quite a bit at Wal-Mart Supercenters, of all places), that's also a good crunchy snack. Natural (ie, no-sugar-added) peanut butter isn't too bad a nutritional bargain, since it has a high proportion of monounsaturated fat, & so is an easy dip. You can also easily flavor plain yoghurt with a little Splenda or SteviaPlus & extracts, & it will make a handy dip.

My poor husband has grown used to me shoving vegetables into everything humanly possible. I keep big bags of frozen broccoli & cauliflower on hand and they go into just about everything I cook.

[krisperry]

Thanks for all the advice mamas!

I made it thru my first day yesterday with no refined carbs :-) Good for me!

I didn't realize how many of these things I already do! lol Must a bit more healthy than I thought.

The only whole wheat pastas that I've had are blends and I would prefer to have 100% whole wheat. Can yall recommend any good brands? Or tell me the ones that are terrible :P Thanks!

[almostheaven]

Wouldn't have a clue about brands. I find any of them taste the same. I just buy whatever they have that is whole wheat, usually in the organic section.