Getting Your Kids to Eat Healthier

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Some of us parents are lucky and our kids will eat anything and everything from an early age and continue to do so as they grow older, while others are not so lucky and they will be stuck with a fussy eater at some stage. 

If you’re one of the latter, and you really want your kids to give more foods a try and eat a healthier diet all round, here are a few tricks you can try.

Remain neutral

When your kids won’t eat their carrots or whatever food it is they are happening to be shunning this week, it can be really tempting to demand that they do so nag them about the benefits, but this can backfire spectacularly and make a slightly fussy child even more defiant. It’s far better to offer them a healthy balanced meal and then remain silent on the matter. If they choose to eat it great, if don’t make a fuss. Just keep trying and eventually, you will get there.

Hide the good stuff

A tried and tested trick used by parents down the ages, to get their kids to eat a bit healthier, hiding the veggies in unexpected places is a great way to get more nutrition into your children. Tomato-based sauces are especially good for this because you can blend everything from courgettes to onions into the sauce and the kids will be none the wiser.

Make an art of your meals

Hit up this website and buy some really cute, and eco-friendly bowls and plates in the shape of a duck or a car or whatever your kid is into, and then learn the art of bento boxes. Turn that healthy rice and carrot dish into Hello Kitty or Mickey Mouse or whatever your imagination can come up with, and chances are the kids will be so delighted with their perfectly presented dishes that they’ll tuck in, If you can get them involved in making their own artistic food creations, then you stand an even better chance of getting them to eat healthily. 

Don’t ban treats

Some parents think that banning treats is the best way to ensure that their kids eat a healthy diet, but again, this can backfire spectacularly and sweets, chocolate and crisps become the forbidden fruit, so when kids can get their hands on them, they go overboard. Finding a balance in your child’s eating habits is the best way to help them form a healthy relationship with food, so nothing should be off the table. It’s fine – and actually desirable – to limit treats, but don’t ban them completely.

Practice what you preach

If your kids only ever see you shunning your greens in favour of a beige buffet, then you are really going to struggle to convince them to eat a healthy diet if their tastes aren’t naturally inclined that way, so try to set a good example whenever you can – you’ll all benefit by doing so.

Getting the kids to eat healthy can be a challenge, but you can do it.