I have picky eaters. Every day I fix between five to eleven meals... depending on what is served and this does not include snacks.
I don't "let" my kids eat whatever they want. I don't "let" my kids poop on the floor and chew on batteries either but some things just happen whether you like it or not and contrary to belief some children will not eventually eat if they get hungry enough (maybe that's why they started chewing on batteries?).
Rhino has a problem with texture and will throw up if something doesn't agree with his palette. He doesn't even have to eat it! Just sitting it on the table next to his plate is enough to make him gag. He has eaten the same sixteen things for the past seven years with few alterations or additions.
Tiger likes potato products. Hash browns, french fries, tater tots. He has a list of about eight things he will eat but is more likely than Rhino to try something out of the ordinary if it suits him. We have improved here though... at least some things can be different brands now.
Puppy is a carnivore and loves meat. Any kind of meat at any time of the day. If no meat is offered her favorite dish is chicken noodle soup but regardless of the menu she can't be bothered with bread. While she usually eats what we're having, sometimes it is hard to convince a four year old that she has to eat her carrots while her brothers are chomping away on corn dogs and french fries.
Monkey decided a long time ago that she was not a baby. Not having to make cereal or baby food cuts down on a few meal preparations but she is only one year old so some substitutions still have to be made for her to get all that she needs.
And let's not forget the beverages. Tiger couldn't before and now won't drink milk so I have to give him fruit juices to get some vitamins; otherwise it's water for him. Puppy can't drink cow's milk or orange juice so she gets soy milk and Gatorade- the only "juice" I've found that doesn't have Vitamin C in it and Monkey can't have Cow's milk, Goat's milk, Soy milk or any fruit juice either so she gets rice milk and Gatorade. Rhino has decided to love milk once he realized it makes you strong (I'm still trying to teach him that the corn dog off sets whatever the milk might be trying to do).
Ketchup is a favorite. In fact we go through three pounds a week but no matter how many different ways I Google it, Ketchup is not considered a vegetable.
While it would be easier to just shrug my shoulders and give in- I prefer to a be a rebel. I take joy in being a mischievous magician that can shape and mold children (and hubbies) without them ever knowing I'm sneaking up on them...
So. I've read every book, tried every therapy (aside from hypnosis), starved my children, force fed them and even closed my eyes, buried my head in the sand and hoped it would just one day disappear. None of this worked. Surprise, surprise. Sometimes it was them and sometimes it was me but as a whole- it wasn't working.
Then, one day I decided to just make what I usually make and try to substitute some things. I know what you're thinking.. "oh, there's this really good book about sneaking healthy stuff into foods". Read it. Liked it but it didn't totally work for me. Rather than use one therapy, I have had success in using all of my acquired knowledge together to form my own plan- which still isn't rocket science but worked for me. Thank you to every author and teacher that shared their wisdom with me.
In a nutshell, I use their favorite foods as a reinforcer to try new foods. I won't be there forever to put spinach in the brownies so they must learn to try new things. I use movies and characters that they love to advertise good foods and we talk about them and their benefits (this is mainly for everyone other than Tiger, who doesn't care who eats what). The kids help me shop for good foods they want to try and they have to eat what they choose. They don't have to like it- but they do have to try it. We start with look at, then we touch it, smell, touch the lips, then tongue and finally they have to chew then swallow... and not throw it up. While yogurt is good for your complexion, throwing the food at mom is strictly prohibited but not always observed.
First they get a bite of the new or unfavored food and then they get a bite of their preferred food. This works for everyone, even Tiger. Naturally I choose foods that they might actually like rather than pour brussel sprouts down their throat. Overall, this is a good method but can be time consuming when dealing with a stubborn animal.
When I'm not using "therapy" to get new foods in, I put the fruits and veggies in myself. Smoothies and quick breads (such as banana and zucchini) were great tools but I had to add a lot of sugar to them and even then they were not always successful. Then one day I found my best friends. Muffins and cinnamon. I can hide just about anything in a muffin, top it off with cinnamon and everyone will eat it... including Mr. Zookeeper.
It's taken three years but I've finally gotten to this point. First everyone had to like cinnamon so we did cinnamon rolls. Full of sugar cinnamon and covered in icing- what's not to love? Over time we moved to a more healthier cinnamon roll without them knowing as I made the dough myself. Then the cinnamon roll showed up in a muffin tin, then we lost the icing and now we have a cinnamon muffin. My evil plan is working! Some of you are already exhausted and believing me to be crazy but when you have children- you end up doing things you'd never dream of; and yes this applies to the whole pooping on floors thing too.
I use a basic muffin recipe, substitute the oil with fruit and add vegetables, oatmeal and beans. Sprinkle in the cinnamon and they don't taste everything else. Sure it's not a full serving of anything but it's certainly better than nothing. I can't change too much too soon- because texture, color, size, smell and temperature matters just as much to them as taste. I can hide a few things in pancakes and cakes but the texture changes so it's not always a hit. While I do have other recipes I alter, this is my favorite and most successful.
I use a blender and wheat grinder/food mill but you can use a mixer, food processor, hand grinder or even buy it all ready in the form of special flours and baby food.. yes baby food. The best part is not so much telling your husband he just ate sweet potato muffins but that he just ate baby food! (back to the evil plan) I had to try the recipe by itself a few times so I'd know the right texture I'd need and then I could alter to what I wanted, needed or had on hand. I have made it very many ways and have perfectly evil muffins every time. I use mini-muffin tins because Tiger only eats the tops but you can use any size.
Basic Muffin Recipe.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
1 3/4 C all-purpose flour
1/3 C sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 egg
3/4 C milk
1/4 C cooking oil
Mix all ingredients in a bowl and pour into muffin tins. Bake 10-12 minutes for mini muffins and 18-20 for full size.
That's it! But now for the fun part of victory..
Deceitful Substitutions.
You don't have to just use applesauce, any FRUIT puree can substitute for oil- I use equal amounts in exchange but never really measure things (one of my kids' obsessions is measuring cups and spoons so I eyeball everything) Find the fruit you want and blend it until smooth. If you need something colorless, I'd use applesauce or pears. I use canned/bottled fruit with little or no sugary syrup. My favorites are apple, pear, peach, fruit cocktail, strawberry and banana. Strawberry alters the color while banana changes the taste the most which isn't a bad thing but something to note if your child doesn't like them. Oranges can leave little strings so be careful of that if you have a texture issue. You can squeeze in citrus' such as lemon, orange and lime juice for the benefit without the strings. Blueberries go great with a zest of lemon if you like blueberries in your muffins.
Next, add any VEGETABLE. Fruit is generally sweeter than vegetables so you don't want to overdue this one lest you run the chance of foiling your evil plan. Use bland flavors at first like zucchini- yes, just like you would in bread. In addition, I use carrots, sweet potatoes (cook to soften), spinach, broccoli and cauliflower (watch out for the specks), green beans, peas and pumpkin. Again, go easy on the veggies!
Spinach and blueberries blended together makes chocolate. It doesn't taste that way at first but if you add it to a recipe that calls for chocolate you never know the difference. Chocolate is a great way to disguise color and taste. Add powder or chocolate chips to any recipe and kids don't pay too much attention.
Sometimes it's easier to blend the fruits and veggies by adding the milk. Should you get lumps or strings, you can strain them out using a nylon. You can make many varieties at a time and freeze them in individual servings or blend them up fresh as you need them... I've done both.
You NEED the egg, salt and baking powder so don't omit those but you do not need the full measurement of flour to be all purpose flour. I put in 1 1/4 C flour and then add oatmeal, wheat and bean flour to make up the rest. I have a wheat grinder so I just grind beans the same time I'm grinding wheat and store it in the freezer. They do put in a bean taste so beware of using too much. I do this if I'm feeling extremely rebellious but most time I just put in 1 3/4 C flour and then pour in 1/2 C quick oats... well I would if I actually measured it but you know what I mean. You can blend the oats with the fruit/veggie puree if you're afraid of the texture. Quick oats usually soften down in the baking though so I skip steps wherever possible... I'm evil, not dumb.
Add some cinnamon and nutmeg (if desired) and mix. Stronger flavors need a little more cinnamon but you'll get the hang of it.
Adjusted VICTORY Muffin Recipe
1 3/4 C all purpose flour
1/2 C quick oats
1/4 C sugar (I still like it sweet)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 egg
1 C smashed fruit or puree
1/4-1/2 C shredded vegetable or puree
sprinkle of cinnamon and nutmeg (1 tsp- 1tblspn)
enough milk (or other liquid)to get smooth consistency
(usually 1/2 C or so)
Bake and serve.
Freeze leftovers or just leave them out to be eaten throughout the day.
My wild bunch may not like grazing the plains or chewing leaves from the treetops but I sure do take pleasure in watching them chow down on a good victory muffin... I even secretly rub my hands together and let off a villainous laugh as I serve them. We still have a long way to go but for now, what they don't know only helps them... and us too!
AHH HAA HAA HAAA HA!!!
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