You’re not the only one if your search history includes phrases such as “how can I get my toddler eat healthy food”, “best bribes to encourage picky eaters”, or “is it possible to make broccoli taste and look like nuggets?” All parents have fought with their children over food at some point. Here are three easy ways to change your approach to eating healthy.
Hype Up Healthy Foods Using Terms Your Kids Understand
There’s a good reason why a woman in orange with green flowing hair, called “Beta Carotene”, doesn’t go on intergalactic missions alongside Thor, Black Widow, and The Avengers. Children don’t even know what beta-carotene is.
Tell your children that eating carrots will improve their night vision. Instead of telling them that carrots are full of beta-carotene and the antioxidant lutein that is great for eyesight, you can tell them that they’ll be able to see better at night. To help toddlers understand the importance of minerals and vitamins, use kid-friendly language to describe the benefits of nutritious foods.
Introduce them to healthy foods early and often
To encourage healthy eating, remove unhealthy temptations. Store your refrigerator and cabinets with minimally processed, clean foods. Preservatives cannot be avoided in full, so do your research on safe preservatives for children and babies.
Put new foods on the table that you would like your kids to try. If your children reject them, keep putting that food on the dinner table. The bowl of beets won’t seem so bad anymore. Your kids will start to look forward to it.
It’s important to keep in mind that kids have their own dislikes, just like you. You can fill in nutritional gaps by using a child-safe supplement like Wellements Organic Multivitamin drops.
Don’t Badmouth Dessert
If you tell your children that cookies are bad and apples are good, they will add this to the mental file “Good food is boring and bad food is delicious and sometimes has chocolate chip in it.” Guess what type of foods they are going to crave.
Serve dessert with dinner instead of making it a taboo, special treat. It will teach your children that all food is equal and that a varied meal requires a variety. Will your children eat dessert first? Once the novelty wears out, your kids will likely eat a bit of everything on their way to a full plate.
Don’t worry if dinnertime is a challenge. Toddlers who are comfortable with familiar foods may find it difficult to try new things. Your kids can also test their limits by refusing to eat your perfectly cooked Brussel sprouts. Make healthy food a staple at your table. Before you know it you will hear the seven magic words “Can I please have more broccoli?”