How to get your kids to eat healthy foods

[Elisha]

Normally, kids love to eat healthy foods like fruit, yoghurt and milk. But today there are seeing and given sweets everywhere (if I go to church or a party, my daughter is getting more sweets than from me in a whole week at home), and fast food is cool. And they do have a point, much of this stuff does taste nice. Honestly, I also love chocolates and pies.

This makes it much more difficult to make sure your kids eat healthy - especially when they get to the point where they refuse the healthy foods you serve them.

But it does not even need to be a passion for sweets and fast foods, some kids simply don't want to eat certain foods. But there are ways to still get them to eat these, and sometimes they won't even notice.

Here are some tips:

1. Make foods more interesting and appealing

Decorate the foods nicely so that your child's plate looks intriguing. For example, use different cookie cutters to cut sandwiches and cheese, or paint faces with tomato paste.
Cut fruit or vegetables in shapes. Arrange them as a face or animal.

2. Hide the rejected foods in those your child loves

Mushrooms and aubergines can be chopped finely and mixed into minced meat (meat balls or patties).
Cook or grill vegetables until soft and put them in the food processor to make a smooth paste. Then mix it with tomato puree to make a nice tomato sauce for your spaghetti.

3. Serve foods in a way your child likes

Sometimes, kids actually have a problem with the texture of the food, not the food itself. I for example eat tomatoes in almost any form, but never raw. I just hate their taste and wabbly texture. I once treated a child that refused everything that was not perfectly smooth because he was oversensitive in his mouth and couldn't stand the feeling of pieces in his mouth.
Instead or raw fruit, stew or bake it, puree it and mix it in yoghurt, blend it in a smoothie, or make a jam or jelly.
Try a different way of preparing the veggies. Maybe you need to bake or grill them, not cook.

Two things are very important: You need to be an example for your child and eat healthy yourself, because our kids like to copy what we do. And you mustn't give up. Don't fight about a certain food, just serve a small portion of it every now and then in an appealing way, maybe with other foods your child likes. Sometimes they simply need some time until they get friends with a certain food.

How do you get your child to eat healthy foods he or she doesn't like? Come on, share your secrets! I'm looking forward to your brilliant tricks!

Elisha

[chille]

Here are few steps to train your kids for healthy foods.

-Get the whole family involved.
-Choose only fresh whole foods: fresh fruits and vegetables, a little whole grains and healthy protein, organic if possible.
-Sit down with your child and together list some healthy foods that your child likes and can substitute for the foods you want to eliminate from his or her diet. Encourage your child to suggest healthy foods. Make sure your child agrees to the healthy foods so that he or she will eat them instead of the unhealthy foods. Try to get some healthy foods that everyone agrees upon, though they don't all have to be the same.
-Make this a healthy eating adventure, exploring new and healthier foods to eat instead of a dull, boring diet.

[Audrey]

It's easy to get the kids to eat healthier if you trim some calories from a favorite dish. I'm an editor at RecipeLion.com (http://www.recipelion.com), and we've just put together this great tutorial about low-fat, cost-effective, delicious meatloaf:

http://blog.recipelion.com/how-to-maximize-your-meatloaf/

[The Country Kitchen]

http://uwharriefarm.typepad.com/.a/6a010536b0be17970b0120a5bfaea4970b-800wi
This Sweet Potato Cake Recipe (http://uwharriefarm.typepad.com/uwharrie_farm/2009/10/country-kitchen-recipe-a-delicious-sweet-potato-cake-packed-with-nutrition.html) is an example of how I got my children, who are grown now, to eat a variety of healthy food. It contains organic milk, free range eggs, organic whole wheat flour, extra virgin olive oil, organic sweet potatoes, pecans and coconut. Also, Jessica Seinfeld's book Deceptively Delicious (http://www.powells.com/biblio?inkey=1-9780061251344-11&PID=33835&PID=33835), describes in detail how she takes traditional recipes that kids love and packs them with vegetables in such a way that the kids don't even know.

[lance22]

Thank you for this very nice and informative post. Yes i think kids are really choosy when it comes to food preferences.. Trust me. I've been through that when I was a kid myself. LOL. Sometimes, moms should really think of new and creative ways in order to persuade their children to eat vegies and other healthy foods.

[secret squirrel]

What an interesting thread!!
Never had many problems with getting my kids to eat healthy things for the following reasons.
1. When they were babies they had what `we` had but pureed, so they got used to flavours of normal food. We seasoned ours on the plate and taught the children to do the same..
2. We `all` sat at the table together every night to eat.
3. I cooked only one meal for everyone and didnt do special meals for individuals.
4. When I served up a meal the food was put on the plate and they were expected to try different things.
5, Fast food was a `treat` for special occasions.
6. Sorry but I `never` cut food into special shapes or tried to disguise or hide from them what they were eating. I never made pictures from food either.

My children are all grown up now and they have a an enormous selection of food to choose from and they are VERY unfussy. Yes there were certain veggies that maybe one member of the family was less keen on, but they were all expected to eat at least a tiny bit. Some days someone got something that wasnt to their taste but the next night they got what they liked best. They wernt forced to eat anything that made them gag or be sick but when they got older I used to put all the veg on one platter and the meat on the other and because there was a good selection of about at least 4 or 5 veg they would choose which they liked best.
Salad, they ate from about 2 years old and I put lemon juice on it and as they grew they were introduced to dofferent dressings.
We never had fights, or tantrums, and the meal table was never a battle ground and they wernt bullied either. They learned that I wasnt going to pander to whims. Some things, they didnt like the texture of , they grew to like as they got older and their pallets changed. Yes they do have preferences, but they are easy things to deal with.
Yes now they are grown, they do eat junk food, but thats their preference, but they will all sit and eat a good, well cooked meal every day and we seldom have the same thing two days running.
Its all too easy for parents to worry too much about what is healthy and what isnt, because they care enough to do the right thing, but its easy also to make a rod for your own back by being over catious about what what is eaten and what isnt.
lorna

[Smith]

Here are few steps you can apply.
-Offer a Variety of Foods Every Day.
-Get their support for prepare foods
-Dont stuff junk foods in the fridge.
-Allow Them to Eat at Their Own Pace.

[Villagecatering]

1. Always try to motivate kids to eat healthy and nutritious food some times occasionally we give them junk foods.
2. Always sit with your children when they are eating. The whole family should eat dinner together.
3. Sometimes try to prepare new preparation the children like change sometimes but the preparation should be nutritious. Like I usually prepare custard in that I put bananas, apple and orange etc and my son like it very much.

[lenovo11022]

Thanks all for your information

[Roberta]

Avoid food fights. Don't try to force them to eat anything. Encourage, but do not force. Kids learn early on that they can control adults with food - with choosing or not choosing to eat something.

I was a picky eater as a child. My parents were great. They never made me eat anything I did not like. For instance peas. They would say do you want just one. That sounded reasonable. And I would try that.

They never made anything special for me. I had to eat what was on the table. Fortunately my mother was agreat cook so most things were not a problem.

[CreekCorner]

The best way is to put the healthy stuff on the plate and leave the unhealthy stuff off. When they complain send them to bed without dinner or dessert. Soon their natural instinct of hunger will kick in and they will eat everything on the plate cause they know what will happen if they don't.

[robyn]

What an interesting thread!!
Never had many problems with getting my kids to eat healthy things for the following reasons.
1. When they were babies they had what `we` had but pureed, so they got used to flavours of normal food. We seasoned ours on the plate and taught the children to do the same..
2. We `all` sat at the table together every night to eat.
3. I cooked only one meal for everyone and didnt do special meals for individuals.
4. When I served up a meal the food was put on the plate and they were expected to try different things.
5, Fast food was a `treat` for special occasions.
6. Sorry but I `never` cut food into special shapes or tried to disguise or hide from them what they were eating. I never made pictures from food either.

My children are all grown up now and they have a an enormous selection of food to choose from and they are VERY unfussy. Yes there were certain veggies that maybe one member of the family was less keen on, but they were all expected to eat at least a tiny bit. Some days someone got something that wasnt to their taste but the next night they got what they liked best. They wernt forced to eat anything that made them gag or be sick but when they got older I used to put all the veg on one platter and the meat on the other and because there was a good selection of about at least 4 or 5 veg they would choose which they liked best.
Salad, they ate from about 2 years old and I put lemon juice on it and as they grew they were introduced to dofferent dressings.
We never had fights, or tantrums, and the meal table was never a battle ground and they wernt bullied either. They learned that I wasnt going to pander to whims. Some things, they didnt like the texture of , they grew to like as they got older and their pallets changed. Yes they do have preferences, but they are easy things to deal with.
Yes now they are grown, they do eat junk food, but thats their preference, but they will all sit and eat a good, well cooked meal every day and we seldom have the same thing two days running.
Its all too easy for parents to worry too much about what is healthy and what isnt, because they care enough to do the right thing, but its easy also to make a rod for your own back by being over catious about what what is eaten and what isnt.
lorna
I must admit, despite all my efforts at trying to get my 12 year old daughter to eat fruit, she still absolutely refuses! I have tried making smoothies and milkshakes...to no avail! Can anyone suggest any other ideas?

[ImaniAbigailWilliams]

* Get the whole family involved.
* Choose only fresh whole foods: fresh fruits and vegetables, a little whole grains and healthy protein, organic if possible.
* Use the Personal Food Planner from HEALTHY EATING: For Extremely Busy People Who Don't Have Time For It . Give each family member their own "Personal Food Planner."
* Sit down with your child and together list some healthy foods that your child likes and can substitute for the foods you want to eliminate from his or her diet. Encourage your child to suggest healthy foods. Make sure your child agrees to the healthy foods so that he or she will eat them instead of the unhealthy foods. Try to get some healthy foods that everyone agrees upon, though they don't all have to be the same.
* Make this a healthy eating adventure, exploring new and healthier foods to eat instead of a dull, boring diet.
* Use my "80-20 Rule." If you eat healthy food 80% of the time, you can have an occasional "forbidden" treat. However, after eating healthfully for a period of time, 6 months to a year, depending how quickly you transition to total healthy eating, you'll probably forget about the "80-20 Rule" because you won't crave unhealthy foods anymore. If you do, then your body isn't getting all the nutrients it needs.

[PappaLazarou]

To get your kids to eat healthy food, just you have to be a little bit creative, sneaky and very patient. If you spend some time for your kids to get them to eat healthy foods, then you will save them from a lifetime of difficulty. In addition, kids who are on a healthy diet have more energy, more focus and more even-tempered.

Sure I've heard that before .....http://letmeget.com/blog/how-get-your-kids-eat-healthy-food

[angelee]

well, start them early, at age the when my baby starting eating solid foods, i already introduced vegetables such as potato, carrots and leafy vegetables those that are easy to chew and mash. my kid loves eating grapes, orange, banana and only eat a little meat. forcing the kid to eat will make matters worst. you can finely chop the vegetables or fruits and add them in baked goods if you are good at baking or to their favorite food such as spag, baked mac or even pizza.

[LuvsToCook]

When I was small, my parents or aunties used to feed me with the way Elisha
do to her children. And I think the best for me, when they were still feeding me and helping me to eat healthy food is they do some contest, the one who finish the food without leftover will have a reward to them. :D
That is why we are determined to finish our food.

[filisili50]

All most every home especially kids and younger ones eat what's available at home. Best way is offer them a variety of foods every day. Normally kids more interested in things that they have made foods themselves, so teach them how make good foods which makes healthy.

[Big Daddy's House]

Please remove that false sig and link from your post.

[LuvsToCook]

Thanks for the information. Very helpful indeed!

[Big Daddy's House]

Yesterday afternoon, I went with some friends to a buffet restaurant.

After being their for a while and during dining there, we saw a hugely overweight man, his hugely overweight wife and their 7 children. Two of the boys are skinny, as is the three little girls. The other two boys are very obese like the parents are.

And while trying not to make myself obvious to them, I wathed them eat. The mom & dad had several plates of food in which the food was stacked very high on the plates. The two overweight boys had food as well. They gorged out on fried chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy!! Then the two overweight boys had gorged out on deserts, slushes and other stuff.

I thought that it was so overbearing to watch those two boys abuse themselves like that and make absolute pigs of themselves! And mom & dad had no problem with them eating like that because they themselves were also busy pigging out!!!

While the skinny siblings loooked like the were eating normal amounts of food, the other two boys who are very overweight were eating non-stop! I don't like the outcome of where those two boys or their parents might end up. I'm afraid that they probably won't be alive very much longer and might die in their mid to late 20s if not before then, if they don't try to do something about there humungous appetites.

[abi_csi]

These posts are really interesting. I honestly think that if kids are educated at home as to what is healthy and tasty they will be less fussy and have a broader palette,and be less likely to just opt for junk food