Getting your kids to eat healthy food can be a challenge. Many parents wish for their children to want to eat healthily, without cajoling. On rare occasions, some kids will take a liking to munching on carrots or cauliflower. But more often than not, parents find themselves trying to sneak vegetables into meals just to make sure the kids get some. If you want your kids to have a better diet without having to force it down them, there are ways to make it easier. You need to instill in them a positive attitude to healthy food. Try these techniques to get them asking for more veggies.
Make Healthy Food Available
It would great if you could time your child’s hunger perfectly. But they’re much more likely to go looking for a snack when you least expect it. If you expect them to get themselves something to eat, make sure, there’s a healthy option. In fact, ensuring that there are only healthy options is even better. Make sure that fruit and vegetables are within easy reach. They shouldn’t have to go rummaging through the kitchen to find something they want. If you do keep unhealthy snacks in the house, try to hide them out of the way.
Don’t Use Unhealthy Food as Rewards
Parents often have the tendency to use less healthy foods as a reward for good behavior. It could be that they get a dessert for eating their dinner or that you buy them chips for behaving at school. But it’s not the best idea to use food in this way. Food should be something that we regard as a necessity to be healthy. You don’t want your kids to associate being good with enjoying an unhealthy snack. It can reinforce certain foods as a forbidden treat that your kids want more often.
Come Up with Healthy Treats
Kids often want what they can’t have. If you label something a “naughty” food to enjoy once in a while, they’re likely to want more of it. Desserts and other treats can be fun to indulge in, but they don’t always have to be unhealthy. If you have a few healthier treats you can make, you kids can associate fun flavors with healthy eating. For example, if you try out a healthy chocolate brownie recipe, you don’t have to be strict about the kids eating them. There are lots of cakes and desserts you can make with healthy ingredients. For example, you can find some that use avocado or beetroot.
Offer Positive Reinforcement for Healthy Choices
Your goal should be to get your kids to make healthy choices on their own. Therefore, offering them praise when they choose healthy food and drinks is always a good idea. However, you should make sure you’re not too negative when they want to have something less healthy. Try to suggest a healthier alternative instead.
You don’t have to hide vegetables in your meals to get some vitamins into the kids. The right attitude can help them make healthier choices for themselves.
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