Every parent knows all too well the struggle that comes with getting children to eat their vegetables. If your child refuses to eat healthy food, it can be a real worry.
Studies show that eating habits are not innate, they are in fact, a learned behavior. This means that what you teach your children about food will stay with them throughout their lives.
With more ready meals and takeaway foods available, less and less families are eating homemade meals. With many parents instead opting for easier alternatives. This is creating a generation of children who have been brought up on unhealthy food.
Don’t feed your child takeaways, don’t encourage unhealthy eating, and don’t let your kids be part of
the fast-food generation. Take the time to teach your children about nutrition and health and encourage them to pick healthy options.
A few simple ideas can provide you with everything you need to teach your child about the importance of healthy eating.
Set a good example
Start by being a good role model. Don’t preach to your children about the importance of eating healthily and then fill up on takeaways yourself.
Most of the parents who moan that their kids don’t like healthy food, are the ones that don’t set a good example for them. In food-related problems, most of the time the parents are the ones causing the issues – don’t be that parent.
Make an effort to buy and eat only good, healthy foods. Don’t get pulled into the trap of buying ‘healthy’ ready meals, because the reality is, they are not healthy at all. Give your children a healthy start in life by making all their meals from scratch.
Let the kids go shopping with you
To help your children learn and understand about food and nutrition make sure to take them regularly on food shopping trips with you. Whilst the best places to go are farmer’s markets and fruit and veg stores, a trip to the supermarket can be just as beneficial.
You may find that taking the children shopping is stressful, but it is important for children to see where foods come from. Spend time in each of the shops healthy food sections and let your kids explore the food on offer there. If you child expresses an interest in a particular type of food, help them to explore it by buying and preparing it for them.
If you find that your child has questions about a certain kind of food, and you don’t know the answers, have a look online for awesome content that explains all about it.
Include children in meal times and make them fun
If you have older children who express an interest in cooking, encourage their interest by inviting them to help you prepare meals. You could even set aside one night a week that your children can use to cook a recipe of their choice. Have a look online for lots of simple, child-friendly recipes.
Make sure to sit down as a family to eat your food. Never sit with dinner on your laps in front of the television, make sure to all sit up at the table. Use dinner time as a chance to talk. Discuss all the things that have happened that day, or use the time to discuss potential family trips.
Try to make sure that everyone eats the same meal. If children see that you have a different meal to them, they will wonder why and may not want their food anymore. Encourage them to eat healthily by eating the same foods as they.
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