Eating healthy made easy for picky eaters!

After spending lots of time trying to convince family members and some friends that they should be eating more whole grain products instead of regular pastas and white breads, and eating more fruits and veggies for snacks instead of cookies and candy it occured to me that maybe their problem isn't that they are being stubborn-maybe it's that they really just don't like the food itself. A few of my very close friends concider themselves to be picky eaters, which has never held me back (I don't like certain things-seafood, especially), but I have still always been on their case about eating less processed foods. My best friend claims he loves vegetables, which is great, but then when you ask him what ones he'd like to eat at tonights dinner he'll respond,"I'll only eat carrots, cucumbers, corn on the cob or potatoes." Ahhh there's the catch-what he conciders to be "liking vegetables" really isn't liking vegetables- it's only liking a select few. For this same friend the opposite happens when you ask him what kind of candy he wants to snack on at the movies- here's where his list really is never ending-dots, gummi bears, gummi worms, skittles, the list goes on and on.

In my best effort to change his ways and help to him realize exactly how he can improve his diet a little bit I decided to research healthy eating tips for picky eaters, hoping it would help. Here's what I found:

* Start with the food you do like: if only like apples and bananas out of the fruit family it's a good start! These two fruits are rich in the daily fiber your body needs! From here try adding these two fruits to morning (Kashi Go Lean Crunch is my personal favorite-it's whole grain and still sweet!). From here on out you will be getting the reccommended serving of fruit in no time!

* Find a diet that allows you to choose the foods you like: Although it might be hard to find a variety in the foods you're eating and you may end up having a harder time keeping the calorie count to a low roar, you'll naturally do better on a diet with the foods you like on it! weight watchers is an example of this type.

* Go on a food adventure!: Who doesn't like a little adventure? Maybe the reason you say you don't like a certain fruit or veggie is because you've never tried it! Here's some ideas to do this:

-Challenge your taste buds~foods you hated growing up you may like now-your taste buds change as you get older!

-Try different forms~if you're used to eating things canned try fresh...it's a totally different texture, taste, and crunch! If you can't give up eating canned soups try low-sodium types instead which don't taste all that different and are healthier.

- Go Ethnic~maybe you dont like the way that we cook a certain vegetable here in the US, but by trying a recipe from another country (i.e. cajun seasoning) may excite your taste buds and help you realize that vegetables potential.

- Try hierloom varieties~maybe you don't really like the taste of eggplant, but the white eggplant version is a totally different sensation!

-Ask the chef~ if you've ever gone out and liked the dinner you ordered (and wouldn't usually like it otherwise) try going back and asking the chef the recipe! If they give it to you that means you have no excuse to not cook it up at home yourself!

- Add some toppings~If you're not that crazy about green or yellow beans but like breadcrumbs, make your own and sprinkle them on top of those freshly steamed veggies-it adds a different flavor then that of just the bean. Also, adding spices and seasonings like pesto to vegetables can help also!

So hopefully what I found will help all you picky eaters out there a little!

http://diet.health.com/2009/02/24/diet-tips-for-picky-grown-up-eaters/2/