Sometimes getting your children to eat healthily can seem like an uphill battle. It doesn’t help that there seems to be a fast food restaurant on every corner – but healthy food often doesn’t seem as appealing to kids as a pizza or a burger.
The thing is though, we all remember being that age, and enjoying a happy meal more than anything else in the entire universe! But believe it or not, swaying your children towards to healthier eating and encouraging them to eat healthy (without moaning) is actually easier than you’d expect.
- Get them involved in shopping – Taking your children along to the super market with you is a great way of getting them excited about healthy meals. Ask for their input on food choices, plan recipes together and plan the meals together as you walk around the aisles. Encourage their choices too – if your children only like strawberries – then think of fun recipes that involve strawberries and another fruit, as a way of compromising.
- Get a healthy food game – Award points to your kids for every time they hit their 5-a-day. Make the reward something worthwhile too (definitely don’t reward them with junk food – otherwise your efforts will be wasted). Try rewarding them with a special day out, or a new DVD or something.
- Get them involved with cooking – Getting your kids involved in the cooking is a sure-fire way to get them absolutely excited to eat healthily. Kids love eating their own concoctions – so if they’ve helped you cook and prepare the meal then you’ll notice how much more willing they’ll be to actually eat it too. You could even have a family score chart – where you can score each other’s cooking! Of course, be sure to always score your child’s efforts high! Otherwise they might be put off trying again!
- Get app savvy – Download some fun apps that actively encourage and promote healthy eating. It sounds silly – but if your child’s favorite character off TV says healthy eating is fun – just watch how quickly their minds will change. There are some great apps for kids out there that do just this – some have the basic nutrition information, some have recipe lists. Whichever you choose – make sure your child has access to it when they want.
- Don’t throw them in at the deep end – If healthy eating is a new venture that your family are taking – try not to throw them in at the deep end, as you’ll just scare them off. Start off with adding a small salad to each meal – and then gradually replace the chips, etc with a salad instead. After that build to adding entire healthy meals to their plates. By not shocking them and jumping in at the deep end – they’ll gradually adjust!
About GFTL’s Guest Author: Elle works for Global Knives , who promote safe kitchen tools and equipment. You can find their range at Chefs Knives online.