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Does the sight of fresh veggies, hot chapattis, fresh milk and fruits make your child wrinkle his nose in disgust? Does he demand to be fed French fries, burger and cola for food? He is not the only one making a fuss eating healthy foods.
Parents all across the world have to make painstaking efforts to help their children eat nutritious food. The colorful banners, posters, toys, games and other merchandise, promote junk food largely which interferes with training children to make healthy food choices.
Adopt these 7 ways to stop your child fussing and start eating
1. Make the Food Into An Attractive Presentation:
Some of the best tasting and nutritious foods face rejection if not presented in a palatable fashion. Children are attracted to the color of foods that induce their interest.
A simple sandwich can spark their appetite if they have it waiting for them in a colorful plate with a funny face on it. Cutting out fruits in different shapes always helps them to eat and consume more than normally sliced fruits.
2. Make Your Kids Familiar And Enter In To Their Comfort Zone:
Children refuse food if they are not familiar with them. Rather than refraining from exposing them to nutritious foods, bring it to their table more often.
Keeping fruits with the chocolate fondue will be a healthier choice over marshmallows. Frequently serving them fruits, veggies, milk, toasted almonds or other nuts will induce conscious healthy food choice in them.
3. ‘Make Meal Time Is Family Time’ Your Mantra:
You have to make a ritual of meal times as family time. The company of others at meal times will prevent them from throwing tantrums.
In addition, it is easier for him to eat food when others around him are eating the same. A family that eats together stays together. Your child will look forward to eating meals with the entire family.
4. Do Not Use Food As A Reward:
Children have to be rewarded and reprimanded according to their behavior.
However, it is not advisable to treat them to junk food as an outcome of being well mannered or making them eat bitter gourd for misbehavior. Such negative association with foods can make them repulsive to healthy, tasty foods.
Food is meant for providing nutrition and not for punishment or rewards.
5. Same Taste But Healthy Alternatives:
Giving your child the flavor of his favorite food in your choice of foods. This is a surefire way to help them eat healthy. Children have specific preferences and tastes.
Catering to those while preparing their food will help them eat regular food with more enthusiasm.
6. Your Child Is Intelligent –Explain The Food Changes You’re Making:
Children understand when calmly and patiently explained about certain decisions.
Help them to understand their body and the essential need to having him convinced about making right food choices. A child accepts when reasoned and rebels when forced.
Explaining your child the functioning of the body and why his choice of foods is harmful will help him accept the suggestion better.
7. Let the ‘Hunger Pangs’ set In:
You’ve to curb your instant sympathy when the hunger pangs sets in.
Allowing him to feel significantly hungry and not catering to the junk food demands will help him reach out for healthier options. Keeping fresh fruits and veggies handy is a surefireway to get him to do it. Next time, when hunger sets in – a banana on the table will do!
Therefore, allowing your child to have access to healthier food will curb his fussy eating habits. He needs to be convinced that the healthy eating options are tasty and healthy as compared to the junk food he craves.
The tradition of packaged food is kept at bay, promoting healthy, fresh, home cooked, yummy food.
Food is made momentous when shared by the family over a table and not stuffed inrush on the way out of the house. These valued moments add to his memories of good food and give intrinsic motivation. Your child will look forward to meal times!
About guest author :
I am Aradhana. I am a passionate writer and love to write on topics like parenting, wellness, health and lifestyle. I believe good health is the key to success and happiness. I am a contributor for natural news, elephant journal, naturally savvy, curejoy and MomJunction.com. Through my writings, I want to motivate people to develop healthy habits and adopt natural ways of living to achieve sound health.
