Today’s guest blogger, Jeni, is a homeschooling mother of 5 with a passion for teaching Moms how to nurture and inspire their children.  She discovered Perricone MD after years of working in the beauty industry as a makeup artist and saw first-hand how Dr. Perricone’s three-tiered approach transforms both skin and health.

As a mother of five small children, one of my greatest thrills is watching my children choose and enjoy healthy foods. I’m especially happy to have good salad eaters around my table. Dark green, leafy vegetables offer children high levels of heart-healthy, immunity-boosting antioxidants like vitamin C and plenty of fiber. Unfortunately, introducing greens into your children’s diets has the potential to turn the dining room into an all-out war zone, but it can be done. Here are some of my secrets:

1. Foster Familiarity: It takes many exposures to a new food before it loses it’s “yuck-what-is-that-thing-on-my-plate” factor! One way to build your children’s relationships with a new food is by serving it regularly alongside other nutritious foods that your children already love. Spread out a little spinach on a plate as a backdrop for scrambled eggs, or top a tiny bed of arugula with a colorful fruit salad.

2. Don’t worry about suggesting they actually eat it just yet! Just focus on praising them for what they do eat, reminding them that they’re taking good care of their bodies when they eat healthy foods. After a few weeks, you can shift their focus to the greens, calling their attention to color, smell, and texture, sharing nutritional facts, and telling stories about how you first learned to enjoy them.

3. Romaine lettuce is one of the kid-friendliest of the dark green leafy veggies because of its moderately mild flavor and juicy-crisp texture. Stay tuned for tomorrow’s recipe, which incorporates Romaine topped with kid-friendly anti inflammatory favorites like chicken, kiwi, and a no-sugar-added dressing made with fresh lime juice in lieu of vinegars that picky eaters tend to reject.
What are your secrets to getting your kids and grandchildren to eat healthy foods?