Tips To Getting Kids To Eat Right
Is your kid a picky eater? Do you have any trouble in getting him/her eat a healthy and balanced meal because they simply refuse to eat? Well, you are not alone with that problem. Almost all parents are so concern in their children regarding not eating enough or eating too much and refusing to eat healthy foods. These kind of eating problems are behavioral in nature. One thing a parent needs to understand is that they cannot force or bribe the child to eat properly. Kids have an appetite and they also get hungry! Refusal to eat doesn’t mean that they are not hungry; rather it is the food that you served that are not appealing and doesn’t match the choice of the child.
But how do parentshandle this kind of problem? Diet experts and Pediatricians say that there are seven easy and sure-fire tips in getting your kids eat well at mealtime. Follow these seven tips that will help you overcome the eating problem of your children:
Avoid introducing high-sugar and fast foods from the time the kid learns to eat solid food. Keep in mind that these unhealthy foods are designed to be appealing in our taste so we will be coming back for more. In other words, it is addicting. By not letting them eat junks, most likely children have no choice but to eat more fruits, vegetables, whole grain and dairy products.
Be a good role model to your kid. Children do the same thing what they observed in adults. Eat with them and show to them that you are eating healthy foods. Help them also in the preparation of meals in order for them to be aware of the food that they are going to eat.
Plan your meal ahead of time together with your kids. Allow kids to give suggestions on what they want to eat, but of course you have to set limitations. Consider only foods that contain or provide enough proportion of fruits, vegetables, protein, fats and carbohydrates.
Be patient in introducing new foods. Kids are new-food-phobic in nature, so introduce foods slowly and patiently. Their taste buds have to get used of the taste in order for them to like it.
Eat together as family. Sit down as a family during meal time. Studies shows that when a family eats together, meals served aremore likely nutritious and less fat. Family meal time is a great time also to teach yourkids appropriate eating behavior.
Be creative. The more creative meals you cook, the greater the variety of foods your kids will eat. Experiment dips as a dressingfor your fresh vegetable salad if your kids don’t want to eat vegetables.
Don’t forget to include healthy snacks for your kids. Snacks are very necessary in a child’s diet. Give them a healthy light snacks twice a day in between meals. It must be healthy and consist only of fruits.
Changing the behavior of your picky eater child is not an easy task. Well, nothing about parenting is as easy as A, B, C. When a kid sees their parents have a good attitude and behaviors towards healthy eating, so expect your child to do the same. It’s necessary to remember being a picky eater is a learned behavior. It will take time and determination or parents should exert effort to change things around.
