Top Tip Tuesday - Give Some Choices

Let me start by saying that there's no short-order cook in our house. We all eat what's cooked - or we don't eat. So making each kid a separate meal is definitely not the type of choice I'm talking about giving. As I've mentioned before, I feel strongly that good nutrition is just as much of a safety issue as using carseats/seatbelts and should be treated just the same (as in, not optional). But that said, I still look for ways to give the kids small choices when I can.

Often, if I'm making something loaded with veggies, I'll let the kids each pick one thing for me to leave off. For our recent Roasted Veggie Sandwiches, Big Sprout chose to leave off the artichokes and Little Sprout opted out of zucchini. It's no more work for me, and they get to feel like they have a say in what they're eating - plus, I get all the other veggies in the sandwich in them with no complaints.

I'm also happy to give options when there is no "bad" choice. "Would you like strawberries or oranges with your oatmeal?" or "Should we have our salad plain or in a wrap?" Again, it makes no difference to me but empowers them with choosing between two healthy options.