How to Get Your Children to Eat Healthy Food
Tips on how to get your family to eat food that is good for them.
All your children have to do is watch TV for a half-hour and they know exactly what sugary sensations are available at the local grocery store. Where are the commercials for carrots?
There are several really good ways to get your child to eat healthier foods.
- Start having Family meals. Kids are more likely to eat fruits, vegetables, and grains when introduced and served at a family meal.
- If you don’t want your children eating chips, stop buying them. Save the chips, chocolate and other high calorie, non-nutrition food for parties. If they think they need to have chips, buy the baked ones, or wheat crackers. Your children won’t eat junk food if it isn’t there. One suggestion though, it probably isn’t a good idea to go cold turkey when switching your family to healthier food. If you gradually change what you buy your family they will be more likely to except the switch.
- You need to be a role model by eating healthy yourself. If your children see you eating an apple instead of ice cream, or cheese and crackers instead of chips they will be more likely to do the same.
- Avoid battles over food. Don’t try to force your child to eat something they really don’t like, or to eat when you think they are hungry. One of the worse things you can do is force a kid to clean their plate or make deals with them if they eat certain kinds of food. It makes food too much of an issue and can cause them to get in the habit of eating when they aren’t hungry.
- Be creative with food combinations. My youngest won’t eat plain celery, but he will eat it if I allow him to dip it into peanut butter or cheese. Same goes for carrots, if I give them ranch dip they will eat them. Apples are great with peanut butter also. If your children won’t eat nuts mix them with M&M’s and raisins. If it takes a little caramel sauce to get you little ones to eat a bowl of apples and bananas it’s worth it.
Another thing you might try is “Fruit Dip”. You can dip just about any kind of fruit in it and your family will love it. Yes, the sugar and marshmallow cream aren’t the healthiest things in the world, but if it will get your children to eat the fruit, to me it is worth it.
Most important is to keep your children involved in their food choices. Ask them what they want to eat or what they really just don’t like. Explain to them why they need certain foods and why it is important for them to eat healthy. Find a natural multi-vitamin that they like and will take without too much fuss. Taking a multi-vitamin will help ensure that your children get the nutrients and vitamins they need each day, but shouldn’t be used to replace eating healthy foods.
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