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HOW CAN I CREATE A LOVE OF HEALTHY FOODS IN MY CHILD?
With the increase in childhood and adult obesity, now more than ever it is important to encourage a balanced diet in young children early on. Getting them familiar with snacking and eating healthy food at a young age will help them battle craving junk food into their adulthood.
There is no magic solution to making your child eat healthy foods. As parents it is our job to present a variety of healthy food choices at mealtime and snack time and the child will decide whether to eat the foods or not. Every child is different and like adults they have their own likes and dislikes that can change over time. Below are some suggestions that encourage healthy eating in young children.
Set regular mealtimes and snack times, equally distributed to ensure they are hungry at mealtime. Snacks should be served halfway between mealtimes which will give your child many chances to eat throughout the day.
Never force a child to eat something. This creates a negative experience and may turn them off the food forever. Remember that a child’s appetite varies with their age and a toddler is more interested in discovering their surroundings than sitting in one place.
Present foods in moderation. Do not withhold junk food since they will soon enough enjoy a treat at a friend’s house and eat too much. When you have a casual attitude about junk food, so will your children.
Offer one new food at a time and in small amounts. Do not worry if they do not eat it, but offer it again another time. Also present new food when they are hungry and in a good mood along with foods they enjoy eating. Sometimes a food needs to be introduced 10 times before being eaten. Be patient and keep trying. Eventually, after seeing it many times, the food will become familiar and they may be more open to trying it. This is also an excellent way to track food allergies.
Let your child help with preparing the meal or snack. Children who are involved in preparing the food are more likely to eat what they have helped prepare. This can include something as simple as setting the table or pouring and mixing the ingredients. They feel proud of what they have done and want to try what they helped prepare.
Sit and eat as a family. Even when your child does not want to eat, have them sit at the table with the rest of the family. Don’t worry; they will eat at the next snack time or mealtime.
Offer your child the same food as the rest of the family (when age appropriate). Children will not eat foods that you do not eat.
Make mealtimes fun! Arrange food in an interesting manner like a smiley face on their plate, or in a shape of a sunshine. Use contrasting colors and textures.
If necessary, hide food! Puréed or grated vegetables and fruits can be hidden in soups, sauces and baked goods. For instance bake muffins with puréed or grated carrots, zucchini or apples. Your child will love eating the healthy muffins! Hiding foods is also a great way to introduce food flavours and this increases the acceptance of that food at a later date.
And remember that we cannot expect them to like every food we offer. All we can ask is that they try a little of the new food and give them a chance. Eating foods in moderation will build a good foundation for healthy eating for the rest of their lives.
For more interesting articles and recipes, please visit www.healthylicious.ca
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