Sorry, I just saw this thread. I can give you some general tips. By the way, I'm a professional at this. It's what I do for a living. I study, at the university level, childhood nutrition. So I'm not talking out my butt, exactly. Also, I have an eleven year old. I do all the shopping and cooking in my family, and food is a passion.
First, you've got a real challenge with the celiac disease. I'm assuming your child is actually one of the very few who have celiac, and not some general "gluten intolerance." In a way, the fashionability of the latter makes it easier for you, in a way much harder (in my opinion). So that's a big deal.
One general observation. Don't immediately discount school meals. I don't know about your local school district, but it is amazing how well many kids are able to eat in school today. It is absolutely nothing like it was when I was a kid. In addition, any school I've been in (and I've been in dozens) are happy to work with you if you have specific food requirements. For one thing, they have to. It's the law. But I'm seeing an increasing number of schools using farm fresh, locally sourced produce. It's quite amazing. So that's advice one.
Advice two is to do a lot of what your intuition is telling you to do. Involve your kids. Encourage them to try new things. Getting them to choose the meal is a great idea. Keep in mind that kids have super sensitive palates compared to adults, so many tastes that we love they can't stand. Yet, In general, they prefer food that, to us, tastes bland. So keep that in mind and allow for adjustments.
Try not to use food as a punishment or reward. I would really, really, discourage you from forcing your kid to eat food that they've already rejected. My wife's parents did this to her, and they are the worst eaters I've ever seen. The derive no pleasure from eating, unless they're eating processed junk food. Most people eat the same few things over and over. I think it's good to expose your kids to as many types of food as possible. A lot of times if you start eating something at a young age you'll accept it, whereas if it's introduced later it will seem "weird." My parents were immigrants (Japan and Italy) and as a result my daughter and I really love a lot of things my wife will never eat.
Good eaters tend to enjoy eating. Often, meal time is an event for these families and a chance to bond and for the cook to express love for her or his family. In other families, meals are seen as a distraction to real living, something to be rushed through so you can get back to the business of life. It can be hard, but try to foster the former. It sounds as if you do.
Here's two more tips. One, is the secret to getting kids to eat certain items. Let's say, for example, you want your kids to eat whole grain bread instead of enriched white bread. There are some proven actions you can take to ensure they'll do so. And, since almost all of life is simply habit, once they eat it enough it will become second nature. First, do some research and explain the benefits of the food you're promoting. You can easily generate "buy in" with a six or nine year old. Explain the benefits. Next, set up some taste tests. Have a kid try a piece of really well crafted artisanal bread, for example, next to a piece of Wonder Bread (which, don't get me wrong, I'm not bashing). Slather some good butter on it, if you can. Okay, most kids, at first blush, will prefer the wonder bread. Or the velveeta. Or grape drink to grape juice, for example. But you can actually develop their palates by doing this. You explain the health benefits, and the textural and taste superiority before the taste test. And then you feature the product in a couple of meals. You model the behavior by eating it yourself. And, finally, you try to elicit a promise from the child that he or she will choose the food whenever possible. Kids are incredibly receptive and open minded. It's amazing how many foods they don't know they don't like until someone they respect says it's no good. Example: when I was maybe three years old, my idol (an older kid whom I remember dumpster diving with and scoring Hai Karate) told me egg nog was terrible. I still haven't ever tried it. For years I wouldn't even eat eggplant or eggs.
A final tip: develop a list of healthy foods that your kids like and keep them in stock. Nobody ever got unhealthy eating fresh vegetables or fruit, so figure out what your kids like and keep it in stock. When they want a snack whip one up. Kids love, for example, to learn how to release pomegranate by rubbing it under water and allowing it to rise to the surface. I think you're doing a lot of things right. Take your kids to a farmer's market. I think it's good for kids to learn where there food comes from, and how it goes from raw product to, for example, a burrito. Absolutely try to cook with your kids. But don't force them. It's now strawberry season. Go to a you pick, and make some ice cream, for example. Almost any kid would love this.
Really, we're living in a golden age of food. When I was young, in the late 60s, early 70s, I routinely ate sushi, edamame, sriracha, and many other things that my friends thought were disgusting, but would rarely even try. Lee Iacocca, in his book, outlined how all his friends made fun of him when he brought a pizza to show and tell. When I moved to my town, at age five, there was exactly one pizza place. In a college town! Can you imagine that? I only mention this because we're lucky now, but also to note that kids do want to be accepted by their peers, so you want to keep that in mind.
Well, those are my general observations. If you have a specific question I'd be happy to answer it. In general, I believe if a child associates eating with a parent's love, the security of home, and is allowed to try lots of different things, you are most of the way to developing a healthy eater.
First, you've got a real challenge with the celiac disease. I'm assuming your child is actually one of the very few who have celiac, and not some general "gluten intolerance." In a way, the fashionability of the latter makes it easier for you, in a way much harder (in my opinion). So that's a big deal.
One general observation. Don't immediately discount school meals. I don't know about your local school district, but it is amazing how well many kids are able to eat in school today. It is absolutely nothing like it was when I was a kid. In addition, any school I've been in (and I've been in dozens) are happy to work with you if you have specific food requirements. For one thing, they have to. It's the law. But I'm seeing an increasing number of schools using farm fresh, locally sourced produce. It's quite amazing. So that's advice one.
Advice two is to do a lot of what your intuition is telling you to do. Involve your kids. Encourage them to try new things. Getting them to choose the meal is a great idea. Keep in mind that kids have super sensitive palates compared to adults, so many tastes that we love they can't stand. Yet, In general, they prefer food that, to us, tastes bland. So keep that in mind and allow for adjustments.
Try not to use food as a punishment or reward. I would really, really, discourage you from forcing your kid to eat food that they've already rejected. My wife's parents did this to her, and they are the worst eaters I've ever seen. The derive no pleasure from eating, unless they're eating processed junk food. Most people eat the same few things over and over. I think it's good to expose your kids to as many types of food as possible. A lot of times if you start eating something at a young age you'll accept it, whereas if it's introduced later it will seem "weird." My parents were immigrants (Japan and Italy) and as a result my daughter and I really love a lot of things my wife will never eat.
Good eaters tend to enjoy eating. Often, meal time is an event for these families and a chance to bond and for the cook to express love for her or his family. In other families, meals are seen as a distraction to real living, something to be rushed through so you can get back to the business of life. It can be hard, but try to foster the former. It sounds as if you do.
Here's two more tips. One, is the secret to getting kids to eat certain items. Let's say, for example, you want your kids to eat whole grain bread instead of enriched white bread. There are some proven actions you can take to ensure they'll do so. And, since almost all of life is simply habit, once they eat it enough it will become second nature. First, do some research and explain the benefits of the food you're promoting. You can easily generate "buy in" with a six or nine year old. Explain the benefits. Next, set up some taste tests. Have a kid try a piece of really well crafted artisanal bread, for example, next to a piece of Wonder Bread (which, don't get me wrong, I'm not bashing). Slather some good butter on it, if you can. Okay, most kids, at first blush, will prefer the wonder bread. Or the velveeta. Or grape drink to grape juice, for example. But you can actually develop their palates by doing this. You explain the health benefits, and the textural and taste superiority before the taste test. And then you feature the product in a couple of meals. You model the behavior by eating it yourself. And, finally, you try to elicit a promise from the child that he or she will choose the food whenever possible. Kids are incredibly receptive and open minded. It's amazing how many foods they don't know they don't like until someone they respect says it's no good. Example: when I was maybe three years old, my idol (an older kid whom I remember dumpster diving with and scoring Hai Karate) told me egg nog was terrible. I still haven't ever tried it. For years I wouldn't even eat eggplant or eggs.
A final tip: develop a list of healthy foods that your kids like and keep them in stock. Nobody ever got unhealthy eating fresh vegetables or fruit, so figure out what your kids like and keep it in stock. When they want a snack whip one up. Kids love, for example, to learn how to release pomegranate by rubbing it under water and allowing it to rise to the surface. I think you're doing a lot of things right. Take your kids to a farmer's market. I think it's good for kids to learn where there food comes from, and how it goes from raw product to, for example, a burrito. Absolutely try to cook with your kids. But don't force them. It's now strawberry season. Go to a you pick, and make some ice cream, for example. Almost any kid would love this.
Really, we're living in a golden age of food. When I was young, in the late 60s, early 70s, I routinely ate sushi, edamame, sriracha, and many other things that my friends thought were disgusting, but would rarely even try. Lee Iacocca, in his book, outlined how all his friends made fun of him when he brought a pizza to show and tell. When I moved to my town, at age five, there was exactly one pizza place. In a college town! Can you imagine that? I only mention this because we're lucky now, but also to note that kids do want to be accepted by their peers, so you want to keep that in mind.
Well, those are my general observations. If you have a specific question I'd be happy to answer it. In general, I believe if a child associates eating with a parent's love, the security of home, and is allowed to try lots of different things, you are most of the way to developing a healthy eater.
