How do encourage kids to eat healthy foods?

Introduction:

Encourage kids to eat healthy foods. Healthy foods are those which are beneficial for our body and our essential nutrients. These are carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins and minerals etc. These all nutrients are useful for providing energy to the body and keeping the body fit. 

Kids nowadays do not eat healthy and good foods that are rich in nutrients. They always want to eat snacks that are unhealthy. This is the responsibility of the parents to motivate their kids to eat only healthy foods.

Here are the tips to encourage kids to eat healthy foods.

Tips to encourage kids to eat healthy foods:

These suggestions are very useful for parents to encourage their kids.

• Be a role model
• Make food leisure for kids
• Involve your child
• Discussion about food
• Serve wisely
• Changing snack time
• Don’t force
• Remember portion sizes 
• Teach them about balance
• Offer choices
• Make them dips
• Stay positive 

Be a role model:

Every child follows what their parents do. Be a role model for your child. If you eat healthy and nutritious food and you tell them. They will follow you. Be practical in front of your child. They follow the ones with whom they are most comfortable. It is the best tip to do so.

Make food leisure for kids:

 Make food and environment fun for kids. They will impress by different kinds of food. Try to make different kinds of foods, like creativity. They want to eat it. Make food fun for kids. Like, give the food different names like power peas, vision carrots etc.  Studies show that kids get interacted with foods with the help of this technique.

Involve your child:

Children start loving healthy foods if you involve them at a very young age. At this age, a child wants to learn and you should engage them with food. You should them in harvesting and growing different vegetables. They start loving them if they explore with foods.

Discussion about food:

You should talk with your child about the food, they will get involved in it. Like, you teach them about the benefits of different foods like carrots are beneficial for vision etc.  If you’re eating with them, consider their opinions about the texture, aroma, taste and colour of the food. Also, take opinions about their liking and disliking and try to mould them into another kind. So they can eat it. 

Serve wisely:

You should serve wisely. It means that if you are giving something new food to your kid. Give him in small size so that it cannot seem too much overwhelming for a child. If he liked it then gave them more according to their needs. But try to give them in small portions and do creative. Tell the interactive name of the food. So a child can eat it happily. 

Changing snack time:

Change snack time routine. Try to give them a good breakfast and give fresh vegetables in snacks with some kind of creativity. So the child will like it. There are so many things you can give them like fresh juices and some healthy snacks (homemade). It will beneficial for a child.

Don’t force:

Don’t force them to eat those items which they do not like. If you do this, they will hate it and not want to eat it anymore. They will not want to try new foods. Just give them food, make their interest in it. If they do not like it, try to make another type of dish and gave them. Just do creativity according to your child’s preference.

Remember portion sizes:

You should give your child any food with portion sizes. Give them according to the calorie chart. Otherwise, there is a risk of obesity. It is not healthy for your kid. Give all the healthy foods but according to portion control. You must remember portion sizes. Then the kid is healthy.

Teach them about balance:

Teach them about a balance between their nutrients according to the body’s requirements. It is your responsibility to teach them. Also, teach them about the balance between junk food and healthy foods. If they know very well that nutritious foods are beneficial then they will prefer only healthy foods.

Offer choices:

When you give a meal to your child. Give them different choices, but healthy. They will eat what they most. Do not give them a burden on what they should have to eat. If you offer a choice, the child will eat happily. This will encourage children to eat healthy foods.

Also Read: How to shop smart and eat healthily – Eating in a budget

Make dips:

Make dips for your child. Go to different websites or YouTube channels. Find different recipes for dips that are healthy. But try to mould it according to your child’s preferences. The kid will love it. This will also help to motivate your child to eat healthy foods.

Stay positive:

If your child is not eating anything. He just wants to eat junk food or some dishes. He is not completing his nutrients properly. Then do not lose hope. Try to use all these tips and be positive. Take your time and do not force them. Just be calm and positive. Everything will be alright. 

Some healthy foods for kids:

Here listing some of the healthy foods that are very useful for kid nourishment.

1. Yoghurt
2. Beans
3. Eggs
4. Avocado
5. Milk
6. Nuts & seeds
7. Whole grains
8. Berries
9. All vegetables 
10. All fruits

Final thoughts:

Healthy foods are beneficial for children. Just be confident, positive and motivated. Follow these all tips and you start seeing the difference in your child’s eating habits.

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