Yoplait provided me the great opportunity through MyBlogSpark, to interview Christine Coppa… below is an excerpt of the interview!
I am very pleased that she was able to give advice on the Picky Eater subject. Out of the four people in my household, two are very picky eaters, and only ONE is under 20 years of age!!! Yes, that would be my Honey! (just used under 20 not to make him look old!) Although, that makes me seem like a COUGAR! Oh… well….Lol!
Christine Coppa, the wildly popular mom blogger and Yoplait Kids spokesperson is best known for her Mama’s Boy blog at Parenting.com and as the author of Rattled! available at Amazon.com (Broadway Books, 2009).
Q. How do you make healthy snacking exciting for JD?
A. I definitely like to make snack time fun. For example, I’ll use fun cookie cutters to cut whole grain toast into new shapes, or turn apple slices into ‘cars’ (with some strategic cut-outs) that zoom across the table before they’re eaten. These days JD’s favorite snack is Yoplait Kids yogurt and occasionally I’ll even make a ‘kiddie parfait’ with the Vroom Vroom Vanilla yogurt and some layers of cereal for a fun snack.
When it comes to nutrition, do you insist that JD eats everything on his plate?
I make sure that I present child-size portions when it’s time to eat. Also, I find that counting crackers and other finger-friendly foods during snack time helps when I want JD to eat a little more of whatever we’re having, and he finds it fun in the meantime. For example, if there are eight carrot sticks on the table, I can have JD count out three and eat just those ones if he is feeling picky.
What tips do you have for dealing with a stressful meal time?
As a single working mom, I like to get organized the night before, since morning time can be a little crazy. Packing the lunchbox after dinner saves time on a busy morning and it even entertains JD! I usually ask JD to pick out his snacks from the pantry. I always have it stocked with mini bags of pretzels, crackers and sugar-free applesauce cups. Planning ahead ensures that most of our meals are a breeze.
Picky Eaters: Are they getting the nutrition that they need?
JD is a good eater, thank goodness. Of course, on nights when he’s being a little fussy, I can always get him to eat a Yoplait Kids yogurt cup, which makes me feel good because it has 25% less sugar than the leading kids’ yogurt and is an excellent source of calcium and vitamin D. Even if I can’t get him to eat a full meal, I’m glad to know he’s snacking on something wholesome.
*Yoplait Kids has 9 grams of sugar per 3oz. The leading kids’ yogurt has 13 grams of sugar per 3oz.
This was an awesome opportunity from Yoplait and My BlogSpark!
Thank you..really informative!!