Nana's Playhouse: Getting Children To Eat Healthy

Friday, September 11, 2015

Getting Children To Eat Healthy

I am constantly being asked how I get the children to eat different foods because they (the children) will not eat for them (the parents). My answer is always the same.

First, I am NOT the parent and children are always better for someone else right off than they are for their parents. This helps in the beginning so I can establish a routine and the rules.

Second, Continuity, I do not deviate away from what I say. This allows the children to know that the boundaries are set and no matter how much they are pressed it doesn't change. Believe me when I say this is what they want. To a child this is comforting. Routine, continuity, and absolute is all a security blanket to child. This equips children with the knowledge that there is a foundation in their life and it gives them the confidence to succeed.

Third, I continually keep offering foods to the children. I explain to them that food can be cooked many different ways and can taste many different ways. Also, we all sit down together to eat and what I eat they eat and what they eat I eat. Now that may seem like a "no brainer" but most times if you really look at your days you may realize this is not followed.

Fourth, and final, Fresh, Colorful, and Tasteful. I always have fresh fruit and vegetables on my counter, they are always of different colors and they are always complimenting colors. I am always talking to the children about different foods and how they are made and how the ingredients come together. When our garden was growing we talked about the roots, stems, flowers and how the vegetables come from different plants. Then have your child help prepare the food. If your child is part of the process then he/she will be more apt to want to eat it, maybe not the first, second, third or even tenth time but he/she will start. The average child will need to be offered a new food item 21 times before they will even think about trying it, then after trying it then it will take another 21 to 30 times of trying it to decipher whether they like it or not. Now also consider that their taste changes just like ours and what they do not like today they may like next month or in six month. Bottom line is don't stress, make meal times about family time, enjoy it, get to know your child, have fun preparing the meal together, making a mess with it AND even cleaning up said mess. Then when the meal is finished all of you sit down and enjoy the meal, get to know your child, listen to the funny stories, how his/her day is, who the friends are. "The table talk" will probably be the only time you have all the family together and all their attention at one time, so take advantage of it while you can.