How To Get Kids To Eat More Veggies

Posted by Allyson Owens on

 

I am a parent who wants my kids to eat more veggies. But I also want my kids to WANT to eat more veggies. I am sure I am not alone here! Here is what we are currently doing in our house to encourage more veggie eating:

 Ask Questions - Why didn’t you eat it? Too soft? Too hard? Maybe your child just prefers his carrots cooked as opposed to raw or visa versa. Maybe it’s just that your child doesn’t like carrots cut into little sticks. I know lots of kids who prefer their veggies cooked but guess what? Not mine. Raw all the way. That’s fine by me because veggies and hummus as a dip is both healthy and absolutely delicious! And peanut butter with celery or carrots disappears off my kids’ plate every. single. time.

 Get Them Involved - Have your kids peel the carrots and cucumbers (with supervision, of course) or have them add the veggies to the dish or smoothie you are making. If a child is involved in the preparation process they are more invested and willing to give that new veggie a try.

 Provide Variety - Does your child only willingly eat 2 or 3 veggies? Make sure the familiar veggie is also on the plate when introducing a new veggie. If a familiar veggie is available it won’t be so hard to get your child to try something new. New veggie wasn’t a hit with the kiddos? I tell my kids, “That’s ok. Maybe you don’t have the taste bud yet for (insert veggie name here). I know you will grow the taste bud in time because mommy has the taste bud for (insert veggie name here) and I love it!”

 Set the Example - If you eat lots of veggies, most likely your kids will, too. I try to have a veggie on my plate at every meal. Avocado on toast for breakfast (I’m obsessed) or sauteed spinach over brown rice with a fried egg on top, bean burrito for lunch with a guacamole spread and cherry tomatoes, and no matter what I make for dinner there is always a salad. I am making myself hungry just writing this! Plus, we are always making pressed juices and smoothies over here and we always add plenty of veggies. At this point, my daughter assumes there is spinach in all of her smoothies! ;)

 Plant A Garden - If you plant it, your kids will pick it and eat it! Make sure the kiddos help plant the garden and help with upkeep because the more invested they are in the process, the more likely they are to try that new veggie. We are big fans of gardens at home but also think school gardens  are important. They really solidify the connection with kids and vegetables (and their natural world, too!). If your child’s school doesn’t have a school garden and the teachers/school are behind starting one, check out Life Lab, a non-profit that not only helps provide the means to plant a school garden but also provides the curriculum and educator professional development to support the school garden. We are huge fans of the important work Life Lab is doing and think every child should have access to a school garden! PS Life Lab has summer camps! If you happen to live near the Santa Cruz, CA area this would be such a treat for your child during the summer! If you don’t live near Santa Cruz, CA that’s ok, do some research and find a summer camp on a farm near you!

 Sneak It In - OK you’ve tried everything with your little guy and he is still refusing to try veggies. Well, you have no choice but to sneak them in! The vital nutrients in vegetables such as calcium, fiber, folate, magnesium, potassium, and so on are so important for growing little bodies! Check out our Pinterest board titled, "Sneak in the Veggies" for some great ideas!

 How are you getting your little ones to eat more veggies? Please share with us!

SaveSaveSave
Read more →

Bath Time With Pleni Naturals - Chapter 3

Posted by Allyson Owens on

We were beyond THRILLED when green lifestyle blogger Lisa Fennessey of This Organic Girl decided to review Pleni products. We love what Lisa has to say about them, "A fantastic nontoxic option and not to mention any chance to talk about veggies with my kids? I'll take it!"
Lisa is incredibly thorough in her reviews and left no stone unturned when doing her research of the products. Take a moment and read her detailed review.
SaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSave
Read more →

Bath Time With Pleni Naturals - Chapter 2

Posted by Allyson Owens on

We love hearing how families are using Pleni Naturals at home!
Molly Hill of Maison Pur reviewed Pleni Naturals products on her amazing organic beauty and non-toxic lifestyle blog and had this to say about the brand:
 "I really like this brand and what they created. I think it's tough to come out with an all natural kid's line that really appeals to children. Pleni Naturals packaging is spot on to my kids and to me, which is big in my book." Check out more of what Molly has to say on her blog here.
SaveSaveSaveSave
Read more →

Bath Time With Pleni Naturals - Chapter 1

Posted by Allyson Owens on

Jake and Jacqueline

We are loving the blog post from Jacqueline Fabricius with Jake & Jacqueline of her little ones using Pleni Naturals in the bath! We are thrilled our products were chosen for baby’s first bath with her big brother! The photos are just adorable. Check them out here.

We also love what Jacqueline has to say about the products:

With Hudson, I didn’t use anything but coconut oil until he was well over a year old, but I’m totally comfortable using Pleni Naturals on Sofia at her age. Their products are amazing! They smell delicious, are such great quality (which I always worry about with natural products), and their packaging is adorable!”

SaveSaveSaveSaveSave
Read more →

Why We Say NO To Jars!

Posted by Allyson Owens on

 

This week I want to talk to you about our packaging. Yes, packaging! I want to explain why I chose to use bottles and tubes over jars. It makes a difference! So many products come in jars and I can understand why in one way; it’s easy and convenient to open a jar top, remove the product and apply it. Believe me, that would make my life a bit easier, too. :-)


With jars, you don’t have to deal with pumps and flips caps and orifice sizes, right? Super easy! But here’s the thing and maybe it’s an aesthetician thing, but many of us learned early in our career to only work with products that have packaging where you don’t actually touch the product. Do you know why that is? GERMS! Because every time you dip your finger into a jar to remove product you are introducing the microbes on your fingers to the said product. And these microbes can potentially contaminate your skin care product. Don’t even get me started on jars for diaper balm or ointment. Yuck!


Being a line dedicated to safe and natural ingredients, and understanding that natural preservatives are more delicate and not as robust to fight off microbes as easily as their synthetic counterparts, we decided a “no jar” policy is the safest way to protect the integrity and safety of our products. And that’s why we use only bottles and tubes for all of our products!

Read more →
  • 1
  • 4
  • 5
  • 6
  • 7