A lot of parents complain that their children don’t want to eat or they’d like to eat only sweeties, chips or junk food.
If your child belongs to this group it is your obligation to change this, as you are the responsible person for this child. Most important it is starting to teach children from early childhood. The eating habit will stay and will have strong influence on your child’s well-being. In the future your child can become obese or will not grow up as it should in comparison to other children.
How to encourage children to eat healthy:
1. You have to start from yourself. So don’t expect from your child to eat green salads or spinach, if you don’t eat it yourself. You should be a role model and good example for your child.
2. Try to cook together with your child. Mix ingredients in salads, choose some vegetables which will be put into soups or salads. Even you will have to tidy a little bit longer, it’s really worth it.
3. Always decorate a meal. E.g. put basil leaf, make heart shape or smile from sauce. The children find the colorful food more interesting.
4. You can buy colorful plates, glasses.
5. You can buy also special forms in a lot of shapes for frying omelettes or pancakes. Mixed eggs or pancake cake pour in selected form and fry till get ready. The Ikea offers these types of mixtures.
6. Take care about nice and friendly atmosphere during eating. Avoid arguing or disputes with your spouse/partner for the duration of your meal. The children can be scared when hearing their parents arguing and may have negative effect on their appetite. They can stop eating as a sign of a protest!
7. Never ever eat whilst watching TV or laptop and always eat meals together at the table. You must make sure that all eating should only take place at the dinning table. Learn to celebrate meal. It has to be special time.
8. Don’t use food as a bribe, prize or punishment.
9. Don’t cook different meals for your child and the rest of your family. If your child refuses to eat after experienced hunger finally will eat. In another case you will cook alternative meal for your child very long. It’s not good for the parents or children.
10. Give little portions to start with and allow opportunity for your child to ask for more if they wish.
11. Remember to give always one component which your child likes and offer a new product. Kid has to accommodate to new taste which can take time.
12. If your child says that he/she doesn’t like this type of food without trying, encourage him/her to eat a little bit and say only superlatives about this product.
13. Offer dessert after main lunch. This dessert can occur as pudding, jelly, small piece of cake or fruit.
14. Don’t give sweeties during breaks between main meals. Instead offer apple, banana, yogurt or nuts.
15. School lunches should consist of healthy sandwiches made with whole grain bread, salad, tomato, meat or cheese.
16. Limit juices, because they are very sweet and caloric. Around 30% of juice is sugar!
17. You can prepare to drink natural lemonade from water, lemon and honey, cocktail or natural juice.
18. Don’t force your child to eat, only encourage him/her.
19. If nanny, grandmother look after your child, explain your rules to them. Sometimes they tend to give all what child asks for.
20. If children loves junk food, determine only one day per week for glass of coca cola, piece of pizza or small hamburger and try to modify a little bit this junk food putting vegetables into hamburger or on pizza.
Your child can eat all types of food. Changing bad habits is a long process. Be patient, because with effort you can achieve success and have good nourished child.
Some very good tips. As a healthy lifestyle coach, it still amazes me how some parents approach their children’s nutritional needs. A quote that i feel summarises the approach i do not agree with is by Buddy Hackett “As a child my family’s menu consisted of two choices: take it or leave it”.