Tips for getting children to eat healthier without them even knowing it

Parents who put platefuls of vegetables and whole wheat bread in front of their children will probably be rewarded with a look that suggests they have asparagus sprouting from their ears. But with almost 20 percent of all American children obese according to the Center for Disease Control, it’s more important than ever to try to help kids develop better eating habits.

While teaching them to make proper choices is key, here are some sneaky tips in the meantime that can help them eat more of what they should, often without them even knowing it.

There’s not a baked good you can make (i.e. banana bread, pancakes, muffins, cookies ...) that can’t benefit from a tablespoon of wheat germ, which is high in protein and fiber, or ground flaxseed, which is rich in OMEGA-3 and lignans. In fact, according to the Mayo Clinic, wheat germ is one of the 10 healthiest foods and preliminary studies show that flaxseed may help in the fight against heart disease and diabetes.

Besides adding it to foods, it works great in other ways as well, such as sprinkling it on top of some already healthy low-fat yogurt for a crunchy surprise.

Whole grains are important to any diet. But if children still put up their noses at whole wheat bread, consider light wheat bread or other grains. Some have a mild taste that they won’t notice. When making bread or other baked goods, start substituting a 1/4 cup of wheat flour in every cup of white flour that you use in your baking, too. Every bit helps.

Food preparation can also make the difference between something being healthy or harmful. In a PBS Parents website article dealing with picky eaters, it suggests baking foods instead of frying them. And when oils are a must, avoid margarine and butter. Olive oil, canola oil and transfat-free packaged spreads are better alternatives.

Though toddlers should not be put on a low-fat diet, these healthier fats can still be used to make sure every bite counts. PBS Parents also recommends replacing an egg in a recipe with two egg whites. And use low-fat cheeses, sour cream and cottage cheese and switch to 1 percent milk.

But the biggest culprit to unhealthy eating by far is sugar.