One of the most difficult tasks for a parent is to make their kid eat healthy food. Kids and food have an awful equation.
With kids seeing burgers and pizza ads on TV, it is nearly impossible for parents to keep their kids away.
Once the kid has tasted fast food, his stomach doesn’t digest anything else with pleasure. This is a very big problem for parents.
Well, the good news is that there is a solution to this problem. Just follow some basic rules that will help you encourage your kid to eat a healthy diet. Here are those tips:
1. Take In Charge Of The Food Menu :
Each family has its own way of deciding what will be made in lunch or dinner. However, as a parent, you need to be the dominant force.
You need to buy and store food that is healthy. A kid won’t sit hungry for long; he will eat what is available in the cupboard or fridge. Once, they start eating nutritional food.
You can buy them their favorite food once a week.
2. Give Kids Some Offer :
Most of the time, kids are just slapped with foods they dislike. As a parent, you want your kid to participate and eat the food on its own.
Hence, in accordance with tip 1, give your kid a few options to choose from each time for food. This little freedom will mean a big thing for them.
3. Quit The “CLEAN PLATE” Rule :
This may sound foolish, but either your kid will purposely take less food, or he will overeat; both are terrible options.
Hence, you need to get rid of this rule and let the kid eat on its own. Sooner or later, with nothing to eat, they will automatically start eating the food. This is a better option.
4. Start Early :
Food habits are developed early in life. Hence, you need to offer your kid variety and try to make everything delicious.
As this is the age when our like and dislikes form. You don’t want your child to have a dislike for a green vegetable or nutritional food. So, start early and try to make it as tasty as you can.
5. Try New Things :
Whenever you go out, your kid wants to try the same old hot dog, pizza, burger, etc.
So, what you need to do is that whenever you go out, take them to a new place with their willingness. Make them eat exotic food with high protein and nutrients such as sizzlers, vegetable pasta.
6. Water And Milk Are Key :
Water and milk are very part of your diet; both have health benefits, which are too numerous to list. So, you need to make your child love water and milk.
Add flavors in milk to make your child drink. Additionally, keep them away from soda and sweetened drinks. They only add extra calories, which get in the way of nutrition.
7. Sweets Should Be Limited :
As a parent, you know how delicious sweet can be to eat, especially after lunch or dinner. But you also know that these sweets are not food for your health.
So, you need to keep sweets away from the house so that your kid doesn’t fall into the trap. You will have to skip sweets as well for your kid.
8. Food isn’t A Way To Reward Kids :
Many times, parents use food as a way to reward kids and show affection. But this isn’t right in the long run; your kid will start using food as a way to cope with stress and other emotions.
So, in the future, if he is sad or tensed, he will eat to get away from these emotions.
9. Kids Look Up To Their Parents :
Parents are the biggest role model a kid has. So, if you want your kid to eat healthily, you need to start eating healthy yourself.
Always eat healthy food, no matter where you are, and never skip meals.
10. Limit TV and Computer:
Nowadays, companies run lusty ads on TV and the internet to attract kids. Plus, many shows and videos on the internet encourage street food culture.
Young kids do what they see, and if they see a kid enjoying a burger, they also demand burgers. So, limit TV and computer for your kids.
Here are ten tips that you need to follow as a parent if you want your kids to eat healthy food.