How to get your kid to Want to eat healthy

In today’s world, we’re filled with endless choices when it comes to processed snack foods. While these foods are great for an occasional indulgence, as you know, its not the best choice for an everyday meal. 

Educating your kid about the importance of a balanced diet will help them make nutritious food choices well into adulthood. 

Let’s discuss some ways to encourage healthy eating! 

Offer Choices:

No one likes to be forced to do things, in fact, it often makes them want to do them less. When kids are forced to do one thing, they often run in the other direction.

There’s a simple solution - offering them a choice between two healthy things. Offering them a choice encourages independence, and makes sure they don’t feel forced while you still get them to eat something healthy. 

Introduce Gateway Foods: 

Children love familiar things, and they’re suspicious of new food. So what is the easiest way to introduce new things?  A good way to introduce new, healthy foods is to pair them with something familiar.  

For example: Give them carrots with a side of dipping sauce that they already love, or maybe present the new food on the same plate as the familiar food.

During the first five years of your kids’ lives, they’re developing tastes and habits. While they’re forming these habits, it's important to regularly introduce them to a variety of healthy foods. 

Involve them in the Cooking Process: 

This could be a recipe for chaos in the kitchen, and it doesn’t have to happen too often, but letting kids understand how food is made could be very helpful. 

Kids are naturally curious and they want to understand how things work. Encourage them to help you with certain aspects of the meal, like washing a vegetable or even trying to roll a chapati. While you cook, try to explain what different ingredients help with, and answer any questions that come up, no matter how small. 

If they understand the part that every ingredient plays in the meal, and if they feel like they helped prepare it,  they are more likely to eat it. 

Kids learn by mirroring the behaviour of the adults in their lives. So by practising healthy eating practices, you set a good example for your kid. 

There’s no one solution to fix the picky eater problem. But it is important to try your best to educate them about the nutritional benefits of food. It is also important to not demonize or “ban” unhealthy foods. 

It's all about balance - knowledge about how to balance a healthy diet will set them up for a life of healthy meals that they actually enjoy.