Recipes For Picky Eaters

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It’s a nightmare! Your two-year-old is refusing to eat dinner. Again. It seems he has been living on nothing but peanut butter and jelly for the last month! Relax. Here are some hints that might help you get through this picky-eating phase.

It is possible that your child is overwhelmed by the amount of food on his plate. Adult portions are enormous to a child under six or seven years of age. The right serving size for children ages one to six is about one tablespoon of fruit, vegetables or meat per year of age. Give your kid a small portion. Maybe he will ask for more.

Smaller portions allow children to pay attention to their natural hunger cues. This will pay off for them as they grow older, making eating disorders and weight problems less likely.

For new foods, use some psychology on your child. Give them just a little dab, and tell them that’s all they can have right now. It’s amazing, but it works!

Don’t aim for nutritional perfection at every meal. Children don’t need to have a perfectly balanced diet every day. Look at your child’s diet and provide variety over a span of several days or a week.

Lastly, if your child is finicky and refusing to eat what you serve at a meal, DO NOT make your child a completely different meal. Offer fruit or veggies. Kids will not starve if there is some food available. He will eat eventually. Really. You will be helping your child learn about limits and to better understand the family rules.

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Now that Thanksgiving is over, Christmas gift buying is in full swing. The challenge is on! With only a few shopping days left and perhaps many gifts still to buy; here are a few ways to minimize your shopping time and frustration and simultaneously make a significant difference for the environment. When making a few changes in your buying styles and habits you can have a considerable impact on the environment with little effort.

It’s really fairly easy. Just follow some of the gift ideas below and enjoy the satisfaction of being part of the “green” movement by greening your gifts. Make it a truly “green” holiday this year. Take heed!

Remember try to give gifts that people need, can use and are practical. Be creative! Try theseŅ

1. Tickets to movies, concerts, museums, sporting events, outdoor activities or an annual pass to national parks.

2. House or garden plants, herbs, seeds and bulbs. Pots and planters boxes made from natural ingredients.

3. Gift certificates to clothing, electronics, books, grocery, or vitamin stores.

4. Donate to one or more Charities in the name of your recipient.

5. Give the gift of YOU! Make coupons for services such as babysitting, a night out at the movies, dinners dates, weekends away, massages, yard work, dog-walking or help write a resume or article, give a computer lesson or offer some other talent or skill you can share.

6. An old book or collector’s item. Things with a unique meaning. Shop at antique stores, estate sales or flea markets.

7. Cook home-baked sweets and put in a reusable tin box, a kitchen container, or another usable item.

8. Any homemade item. A knitted hat or scarf.

9. Fair-trade organic chocolate or coffee. Always a hit.

10. Clothes and other items made from hemp, wool, or organic cotton.

11. A roll of postage stamps.

12. Office supplies such as recycled paper and envelops.

13 Energy efficient light bulbs, battery re-chargers, or solar-powered products.

14. First aid kits or emergency road side equipment.

15. Board and card games that will be used over and over again.

16. For your children, you can open a savings account, buy stocks or bonds.

17. A gift gasoline card for your teenager or college student.

18. A calendar marked with important dates, such as birthdays, anniversaries, and family gatherings.

19. A book of favorite recipes.

20. Carbon offsetting. This purchase erases negative energy footprint of reducing carbon emissions.

21. Music and books. itunes or the equivalent downloadable books and music.

22. Plant trees in the name of your beneficiary.

23. Name a star after

24. Have a party and invite everyone over as your gift.

25. A years membership to an Environmental organization, a health spa, the auto club.

The list is really endless if you just take a moment to think about your purchase. If you consider where the product was made, what it is made of, who made it, what actually went in to the manufacturing of the product, you might want to reconsider that purchase. Fact: A manufactured item will generate 70 times its weight in waste during manufacturing. Wow!

To learn more about how become more environmental conscious when planning your holiday parties and events, planning conferences, workshops and seminars, and events of all sizes, shapes, and styles, visit my website: http://www.successfuleventplanning.com.

About The Author

As an Event Planner, Writer, Author and Environmentalist Ms. Shannon Kilkenny is in the process of writing her next book which is dedicated to “greening” the hospitality and event planning industry. Her first book “The Complete Guide to Successful Event Planning” is due out Dec. 06. Visit http://www.successfuleventplanning.com for more information. Email me: eventresults@aol.com

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