Getting kids to eat healthy can be a challenge, a challenge
that can be stressful to many parents. You worry about whether or not your kids
are getting the nutrition they need every day. You ask yourself so many
unending questions. Are they healthy? Am I doing enough? Is it my fault they
are this picky? What can I do to get them to eat more?
Well I am going to give ya'll some tips that I have seen
help kids eat better.
Schedule
First thing get them on a schedule. Kids need to have three
meals a day at a regular time with two healthy snacks. Getting them in this
routine will make sure they are hungry when you are ready to feed them meals
and will prevent them from filling up on snacks the rest of the day. Also, be
sure that your kids are getting plenty of fluids; this not only hydrates them but
also helps fill them up so they do not over eat.
To help maintain a schedule, and have your kids eat healthy,
when you plan on going out put some snacks and drinks in the car. This way if
you or your kids are hungry you have a nice healthy snack right there waiting
for you and you do not have to get fast food. You can also plan out your meals
in advance so that you are prepared to give your child a nice balanced meal and
do not have to stress about it at the last minute.
Here is a great website to show you what your child should
be getting every day based on age, gender, and activity level. It even has a
vegetarian meal plan option. http://www.nourishinteractive.com/healthy-living/free-nutrition-articles/131-printable-kids-healthy-menu-plans-daily-childrens-food-groups-balanced-meals
Dip It
Sometimes all you need to do is let them dip their food in
something. Some kids love
ketchup or ranch. So let them dip away no matter how
weird their food and dip combinations are. I have seen a kid who absolutely
loved ranch and would dip everything in it including fruit (ick!), but hey, if
it gets them to eat it why not let them do it?
Hide It
Sometimes it helps to disguise some healthy foods into
things picky eaters love. For instance if you kid loves mashed potatoes maybe
puree some cauliflower or celery root and add it in with the potatoes. If you
have a kid that loves spaghetti and marinara sauce cook up some more vegetables
and either finely chop them in the sauce or puree them and put them in. If they
love chicken tenders use some whole grain flower and bake it in the oven.
Another great thing to add into food is nutritional yeast flakes. They are
packed with vitamins and have a slightly cheesy flavor. So add them into
breading on food or top macaroni with them. The possible uses of them are
endless.
Give Them A Choice
Give your kids an opinion about what they want to eat. Have
two options ready and ask them which they would like to have. Doing this lets
them feel like they have control over what they are eating and will make them
more likely to eat it.
Make Them Little
Chefs
One of the best ways to get your kids excited about eating
and trying new things is to have them help you cook it. They will be so
thrilled to try something that they made themselves.
Get Them Involved In
Growing Their Food
Another way to get your kid to try new things especially
vegetables is to have a small garden in the summer if space permits. Kids love
getting out and getting dirty. They will love watching their plant grow and
will be so ready to try whatever it produces because they will have been
waiting and caring for the plant all summer. If you don't have a big yard you
can always get some small potted plants like cherry tomatoes and keep them on a
porch or outside a door.
Become Junk Food Free
You are the one shopping for you house, so if you don't want
kids to have all the unhealthy food just don't buy it. Here is a website that
has some great ideas for healthy snacks. http://www.parents.com/toddlers-preschoolers/feeding/healthy-eating/the-20-best-snacks-for-kids/
Get a Good
Multivitamin
If you try all this and your children still do not eat well
be sure to provide them with a good multivitamin and try not to stress too much
as long as they are growing good and the doctors say there is nothing wrong
with them. Just keep introducing new healthy foods in different ways and
eventually they will start eating them. This is a great place to see what to
look for in a children's multivitamin and what to avoid in one. The article is
by Dr. Mercola and at the end is his own multivitamin which I highly recommend
for children. http://products.mercola.com/multivitamin-childrens-chewables/
Here are some websites with great recipes for kids.
This is a great website with a good blog about everything
you could ever want to know about helping your children eat healthy. It also
has recipes and recipe books and much more.
No comments:
Post a Comment