How many times do your kids acknowledge your attempt to serve them with a plate full of healthy food? Or how many times do they enjoy their meals and actually relish it? To change your picky eater into a fruit and veggie fan is not an easy job. Healthy eating is a habit that should be inculcated in your kid from an early age.
Here are some strategies that can help you to develop good eating behavior in your kids. This will help them to make good food choices later in life for healthy living.
1. Involve them
Make your kids curious and interested in food. You can involve them in planning meals, grocery shopping, and cooking. The more time they invest in this process, more likely are they to enjoy their meals. Explain to them the nutritional facts given on food labels and why you prefer one over the other. Ask them to help you to cook and prepare lunch boxes and let them decorate fruit salad with cream and assort vegetable sandwiches.
2. Educate them about the source
You should not stick to talking about the final available processed food. Try to teach the kids about the source of food. You can take them to some fruit gardens – the natural environment may develop a sense of liking for natural and healthy products. You can also make them visit a dairy and make drinking milk a nice venture for them. Parents can also try gardening some fruits and vegetables. Kids will usually be willing to eat what they have labored on.
3. Offer them variety
Children get bored with the same food stuff easily. So you should try not to repeat meals frequently. Make the meals varied and tasty. Some good breakfast options are fruit with cream, juice, granolas, cornflakes with chopped fruits, milk, oatmeal with raisins, toast with scrambled egg, and toast with baked beans. Some lunch options are tuna sandwiches, green vegetables with macroni cheese, vegetable fried rice, lentil soup, and chicken. Some dinner options are chicken slices on pita bread, mashed potatoes with ratatouille, omelet with green beans and chicken soup.
4. Healthy snack options
Sometimes, kids tend to eat more during snacks than at proper meals. Healthy snack option should be available rather then calorized snacks like chips, burgers and soda. Some healthy snacks are whole grain sandwiches, cheese and crackers, fresh fruits, juice, custard, cheese toast, and curd desserts.
5. Healthy drinks also work
It is not important that you should always force your kid to eat. A drink substitute can do the same wonders as well. Smoothies, mixed fruit juices, and slush are good ways to introduce them to the taste of new fruits. When they start enjoying the taste then you can make them eat the fruits.
6. Do it yourself first
You should try to be a role model for your kids. Kids follow the footsteps of their parents. You should eat healthy food in front of them and explain how they are benefitting you. This will encourage your children to eat in the same manner. When you go out with them, try to order some new vegetable salad with dressing instead of fast junk food.
7. Have family meals
When you eat or dine together it better educates your child with good manners. Try to have breakfast and dinner together. Make that family time. Discuss the food you are eating and why. Scheduling time for meals and eating together also enhances appetite.
8. Limit the portion
Do not fill the plate of your kid. Serve them with a small and adequate portion. They can ask for a second serving if they like. If two or more items are available, then serve it one at a time.