4 Suggestions For Helping A Child Eat Their Fruits And Vegetables
Posted on: 8 December 2014
Every parent knows that they should be feeding their child healthy and well balanced meals. But it is a lot easier said than done. Many children are picky eaters and refuse to eat foods that are healthy for them. Luckily, there are some things that parents can do to help their child eat healthier foods. Here are some suggestions.
1. Mix Foods
If your child will only eat macaroni and cheese, you might consider mixing extra things in the dish so that they get more variety. For instance, you can easily mix in pureed squash or carrots into macaroni and cheese without the child noticing.
Another trick that parents use is making smoothies. Many children love to drink things out of straws. Instead of making milkshakes try making a yogurt smoothie full of fruits, and even vegetables. For instance, you can easily add spinach to a smoothie without the child even noticing. This will help your child to eat a large amount of fruits and vegetables in one meal.
2. Add Variety
Another way to help your child eat more fruits and vegetables is to add variety to their meals. Your child may have an aversion to broccoli, but may really enjoy squash. Be careful about assuming that because they don't like one type of vegetable that they don't like vegetables all together. The more you offer the child options, the more likely they are to eat something.
3. Make It Fun
If the only way you can get your child to eat a vegetable is have a dip with it, don't worry! Not too many children will eat a carrot stick plain. But if they have some dressing to dip it in, it will be more fun and may taste better to them. Some different options for making the vegetables taste better are celery with peanut better, broccoli with cheese dip, olives with ranch, fruit and yogurt, berries with cream cheese and any other fun concoction you can think of.
4. Give Rewards Not Punishments
Many parents threaten to take away things when the child doesn't eat their food. In general rewards work better than punishments. Instead of telling the child that they will have to go to bed early if they don't eat their vegetables, try telling the child that they will get 30 minutes of screen time if they eat their food. The child may respond better to rewards than to punishments.
By doing these things you can help your child have a healthier, more balanced diet. Talk to your child's doctor, such as Pediatric And Young Adult Medicine, for more healthy ideas.
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