If children’s nutrition is a source of contention in your home, you’re not alone. Many parents are concerned about what their children eat and do not eat. However, most children’s diets are varied and nutritious over a week.
10 Tips to get kids to eat healthy food.
Consider these mealtime battle-avoidance tips to make your child eat healthy.
#1 Consider your child’s appetite.
If your child isn’t hungry, don’t make them eat. Similarly, do not bribe or force your child to eat specific foods or clean their plate. This may only exacerbate – or reinforce – a power struggle over food. Furthermore, your child may associate mealtime with anxiety and frustration or become less sensitive to their hunger and fullness cues.
Serve small portions to avoid overwhelming your child and to allow them to request more independently.
#2 Stick to the routine.
Every day, serve meals and snacks at roughly the same times. If your child refuses to eat a meal, a regular snack time will provide an opportunity for them to eat nutritious food. You can serve milk or 100% juice with the food, but water should be available between meals and snacks. Allowing your child to consume juice, milk, or snacks throughout the day may cause them to lose appetite for meals.
#3 When trying new foods, be patient.
Young children frequently touch or smell new foods, and they may even put tiny bits in their mouths and then take them out. Your child may require repeated exposure to a new food before taking the first bite.
Encourage your child by discussing food’s color, shape, aroma, and texture rather than whether it tastes good. Serve new foods in addition to your child’s favorites. Continue to serve healthy options to your child until they become familiar and preferred.
#4 Don’t be a quick-service chef.
If your child rejects the original meal, preparing a separate meal for them may encourage picky eating. Encourage your child to sit at the table for the entire meal, even if they do not eat.
#5 Make it enjoyable.
Making kids eat healthy food is not a piece of cake. Serve broccoli and other vegetables alongside your favorite dip or sauce. Using cookie cutters, cut foods into various shapes. Dinner should include breakfast foods. Serve a variety of colorful foods.
#6 Let your kid help you.
Ask your child to assist you in selecting fruits, vegetables, and other healthy foods at the grocery store. Purchase nothing that you do not want your child to consume.
Encourage your child to help you rinse vegetables, stir batter, or set the table at home.
#7 Set a good example.
Your child is more likely to follow your example if you eat a variety of healthy foods. When your child sees you enjoying a healthy meal, they follow the same.
#8 Be creative.
Add chopped broccoli or green peppers to spaghetti sauce, fruit slices to cereal, or grated zucchini and carrots to casseroles and soups.
#9 Reduce distractions.
During meals, turn off the television and other electronic devices. This will assist your child in concentrating on eating. Remember that television advertisements may influence your child’s desire for sugary or less nutritious foods.
#10 Do not provide dessert as a reward.
Leaving out dessert sends the message that dessert is the best food, which may increase your child’s desire for sweets. You could set aside one or two nights a week for dessert and skip dessert the rest of the time — or redefine dessert as fruit, yogurt, or other healthy options.
Takeaway:
It’s time to try these useful tips to get kids to eat healthy food. With luck, you’ll be able to remove the stress from mealtime and assist the next generation in developing lifelong healthy habits.
