Ways To Get Your Kids Eat Better

by Boyan Minchev Travel Blogger

Perseverance, determination, and a little bit of creativity will go a long way in making your children eat healthy food. It is not unexpected that your kids are perhaps the most wicked picky eaters to date. Children prefer to eat unhealthy food options if you allow them. Still, that shouldn't always be the case. Now is the best chance to build a solid foundation for proper nutrition by teaching and encouraging them to eat healthy food. Always remember that healthy food for kids consists of a variety of food combinations from the four major food groups. Build a good balance with all the food groups - dairy, meat protein, fruits, vegetables, and grains - you're all set. Here are some helpful tips to get you started.

Include New Food Flavors One Step At A Time

Avoid giving them the same meal over and over again. Start by browsing online or reading through recipe ideas from books and magazines. Slowly introduce new food tastes, pairings, and recipes each week in combination with their favorite food. You can start with greens. Dice new vegetables and combine them into their favorite food like pasta, soup, omelet, or casserole. Just make sure to mix it up every week by offering new ways to cook veggies with their preferred meals.

Connect Your Kids in Food Preparation

The next time you go to the food store, take your kids along and support them to choose their own fruits and veggies. In cooking healthy food for children, ask them to help you with the preparation. You can invite them to wash the produce, stir the soup, or even help cook fresh pasta at home. This is an attractive way to make your kids enjoy the fun side of cooking and eating, while also educating them basic cooking skills. Studies have proved that children are more likely to eat the food that they helped prepare.

Do Not Pass Desserts or High-Fat Foods

There is no need to fully ban ice cream or fries from your kid's food. If you do, it will only make them want more of these foods. What you need to do is make sure they know what's good and bad for them. There's always a room for sweet desserts or oily foods. Explain them the value of small servings for these kinds of foods, or better yet find healthy options that would still allow them to enjoy the same flavor without compromising the nutritional value.

Be Original in Plating and Serving

We all know how children are attracted by anything visual particularly colors. Use that to food. Have as much color varieties as you can when serving them their meals. You can even go as far as designing art pieces with their fruits and veggies. Invite them to join you in creating the most visually appealing meals. Fruits and vegetables are already colorful ingredients. All you need is some creativity in plating and serving. Kids love dips. Why not create a tasty, low-fat veggie dip that will attract them to eat their greens and fruits.

Do Not Bargain Your Kids Into Eating Their Veggies

Opposite to popular belief, bribing kids to eat their vegetables can do more harm than good. Do not bargain with your kids, such as having a full-on sugary dessert after eating vegetables etc. This will only increase negative food associations where vegetables are requirements and desserts are fun, tasty rewards. Children do bring these negative associations with them towards adulthood. Just encourage them to eat one bite. Do not give up. They may not like it instantly but that doesn't mean they are going to hate it forever.

Aspect Of Teaching Your Kids To Eat Healthily

This is an important aspect of educating your kids to eat healthily. Set a good model for them now as they are most likely to remember their parent's words, attitudes, and ways about healthy eating. Let them understand what they are missing. Eat your fruits and veggies, and let them know how tasty and nutritious it is. You can go overboard and use your acting skills if you want. Children are observant and keen about the elders around them. Be that fun-loving, healthy eater they would want to follow as they grow older.

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