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Four Food Tips for Grandparents

November 17th, 2010 Leave a comment Go to comments
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This is a guest blog post by Chris Rosenbloom, PhD, RD, CSSD.

We live in age where many children not only know their grandparents but their great grandparents, too. Today we are not a sandwich generation but a club sandwich generation where 4 or 5 generations can interact with each other.

One complaint I heard often while writing a weekly column for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution was from parents who felt that their mom or dad undermined their parenting by letting the kids eat whatever and whenever they wanted at grandma and grandpa’s house. To avoid the family food fights try these top four tips when it comes to mealtime.

1. Don’t be a food pusher. Children eat when hungry and usually leave food on their plates. Kids are not mini-adults, so downsize the portions and don’t insist that they be members of the clean plate club. Yes, there are starving children around the world but insisting that Susie or Justin clean their plate won’t help feed a child in need.

2. Food jags are natural in children so don’t be alarmed when your grandkids will only eat string cheese and rice. It is not a big deal and the children won’t suffer from malnutrition. Eventually, they will eat something more than just foods from the white food group.

3. Have fun with your grandchildren and food. Get them in the kitchen with you and teach them a favorite family recipe or better yet, teach them to cook. Look for simple recipes with kid-friendly ingredients and try something new each time they visit. For some great recipes and other ideas on feeding children check out the new book, No Whine with Dinner by registered dietitians, Liz Weiss and Janice Bissex, and visit their website at www.MealMakeoverMoms.com

4. Play the name game. Every summer I have a houseful of young nieces and nephews visit our lake house. I plan the menus in advance and send it to my brothers, sisters and in-laws and many of them say, “My kids will never eat that.” But, when the kids come to visit I post the menu and no kid has ever said no to “Uncle Rob’s Tempting Turkey Burger” or “Summer French Toast topped with your choice of Fresh Berries.”  It’s all about the name…and the fun!

Chris Rosenbloom, PhD, RD, CSSD, is a professor emerita of nutrition at Georgia State University. She is also on the advisory board for the International Olympic Committee Sports Nutrition Diploma program. For five years she wrote a weekly column for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, titled “Fit to Eat.” In 2010, she started a consulting practice, Chris Rosenbloom Food and Nutrition Services, LLC. Visit her website at www.chrisrosenbloom.com Follow her on Twitter @chrisrosenbloom

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  • WilliamB

    I remember being perfectly comfortable with the idea that the rules were different at grandma’s & grandpa’s than at home.

    Some kids might go for the food names above. Other kids will go for names such as “Dead Man’s Manicotti.” Know your audience (and hope that the name that one kid likes won’t disgust the other kid).

  • http://foodtrainers.blogspot.com Lauren Slayton

    Such a good idea for a post, do you think Grandparents are reading blogs? Times have changed. I have more of an issue with my mother (Granny) not caring about quality of meat, food dyes and ingredients than letting the kids indulge. It almost seems as though Grandparents feel part of their role is to treat children.

  • http://www.oomphtv.com Tammy O’Connor

    Healthy eating tips for young ones are great for Grandparents — and if the parent is conscientious about their children’s diet, it makes it all the more easy to mutually respect good nutrition. Great post — and yes, if the Grandparents are boomers, they are online and reading!