Kids can often be quite fussy with their food and may prefer candy and nuggets over vegetables. As parents, it is important to make sure that your children maintain a balanced diet and not just a healthy one. A run through these tips might help you and your little one get over the struggle you are facing together during meals.
Implement a balanced diet.
When it comes to serving your kid’s meals, make sure to balance their plate with fruits and/or vegetables on one-half of the plate and protein, starch, and/or grains on the other. Another great method that could be followed is to introduce new meals that you know your child will love, nobody knows your child’s taste pallets as you do.
Do not force them to eat.
Force-feeding can get worse by the day. When you keep pushing your kid to eat what is on his/her plate, it will only ultimately make them resent the same food. Try letting them explore what is on the plate. Sure, they will get hands-on and play with their food but the process will also allow them to spend time and eventually eat them. Sometimes, you can just let them pick what they want on their plate by letting them choose from the table. They might fill their plates with only their favourites but this gives you an opportunity to ask them to include a few bites of what they did not pick.
Do not lecture them on what is healthy.
If you keep telling your kids how healthy their green beans or peas are, the chances are they are never going to be persuaded to like or eat it. Instead, try exciting them by telling them something interesting like the colour, smell, and flavour. Make it fun! Preparing a plate of vegetables and fruits cut in different shapes will make them a little more excited to pick it up from the plate.
Be patient and respect your little one’s appetite.
Your kids are not going to fall in love with every vegetable the moment they put it in their mouths. They might even take it out but encouraging them instead of forcing them will help overcome this. If your child is not hungry for a certain snack or is not able to finish his/her plate, respect their appetite because pushing them to finish it will only increase their struggle with food.
Bear in mind that your kids cannot eat a plate full of just fruits and vegetables. Make sure to add a mixture of a few healthy options. This way even if they do not want to eat their carrots, they might pick up some grapes. Meanwhile, remember that your kids follow you. Therefore, make sure you set a good example for them.
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