Sneaking the Good Stuff into a Picky Child's Diet

My son has a very limited diet. If a plate comes out with parsley on it, he won't eat it. If it has a sauce, he won't eat it. If he hasn't tried it before, he won't eat it. Some people will tell you to "make" your kid eat things. These people are most likely not parents, because parents know that kicking and screaming ensues when you try to "make" your child do something. We don't have to resort to starving our children, however. We are intellectually advanced (even if we forget it at times) and can rise above these struggles! Here are a few changes I have made with my son:

-Get rid of food coloring and chemicals. Your child will fight this less than you think. I read that for children who struggle with ADHD it is especially important to remove food coloring. My son loved Cheetos and M&Ms and was worried he would despise me for the change. We replaced these with Crunchitos and organic Sundrops. He hasn't complained once.

-Replace butter with coconut oil. This is another one he hasn't even noticed because coconut oil is delicious! Coconut oil boosts brain functioning, kills bacteria, and increases energy. Put a little bit on gluten-free pasta with some Himalayan salt and you are good to go!

-Replace sugary cereal and cow milk with  quinoa cereal and hemp milk. High in protein and Omega 3 and  6. An easy start every morning!

-Figure out the healthy things already in your child's diet and focus on those. There must be some! For my son it it peas, carrots, cucumbers, and raisins. So we always make sure we have tons of those in the fridge!

-Make an herbal juice drink. My son has his herb juice every night (varying, but usually containing cordyceps and trace minerals), and if we forget, he reminds us. Mixed in a juice drink, he doesn't even taste anything!

-Explain to your child why they need to focus on a healthy diet. You would be surprised how often adults leave out the why. If you explain to a child you are making these changes so they are less likely to get sick or seriously obese, they will listen. Children don't want these things anymore than adults do.