Easy Ways to Get Your Child to Eat Healthy

We all want our kids to eat healthy, but sometimes it’s hard to convince them to eat what’s good for them!

THE STORY: If you have kids, you want them to eat the things that are good for them such as fruits, veggies, lean proteins and whole grains. Sometimes it can be awfully hard to convince them to eat the good stuff though. So, what can you do to make it easier for everyone?

WAYS TO HELP YOUR CHILD EAT WELL: There are several ways you can help make dinnertime easier - try one of these tricks and reap the benefits!

1. Give your child a choice. None of us likes being forced to do something, but that holds even truer for toddlers and younger kids (terrible twos anyone?). Giving your child a choice of what to eat will enable them to feel a sense of autonomy, something they’re seeking at that age and something that might make them more excited about eating healthier foods. Don’t make it an open-ended choice though, give them a clear-cut choice between healthy items such as apple slices with peanut butter vs. celery sticks with peanut butter.
2. Go slow when it comes to new foods. Kids are naturally opposed to new foods; it just comes with the territory. What they don’t realize is that it takes their taste buds several tries to get used to new foods. So repeat new foods in different forms, seasonings and ways cooked over a period of time to get them used to it.
3. Be a little sneaky. Sometimes you just have a really picky eater on your hands and it’s okay to sneak in more healthy foods where you can. You can disguise unpopular tastes by adding veggies to other foods such as stews or making muffins with zucchini or even just by adding a fun dip for fruit or veggie slices. Gradually your child will get used to the taste of these things and be more willing to eat them on their own.
4. Get your kids involved. Kids are more likely to give new foods a try if they’re already interested in ir or helped make it. So, take your child to the grocery store and farmer’s market with you and let them explore all the shapes and colors available. Then, when it’s time to cook that food keep them involved! Give your kids (child appropriate) kitchen tasks such as measuring or stirring ingredients or tossing a salad.
5. Never underestimate the power of creativity. Kids love fun so why not make your meals more fun? You don’t have to do anything elaborate or messy - doing something as simple as smiley face pancakes or referring to broccoli as “baby trees” or making things into fun shapes can do the job!
6. Be a role model. Kids emulate what they see so make sure they see you eating your veggies and maintaining constant, healthy eating habits.
7. Use a meal-delivery service. Sometimes your family’s less than healthy eating habits is more a matter of you not having time to properly prepare healthy meals. And that’s fine! A super-simple way to make sure your kids are still eating well is by using a meal delivery service, such as Top Chef Meals, that prepares fresh, wholesome, ready-to-eat meals for toddlers and kids and deliver them straight to your door.

THE ROUND-UP: The food battle when it comes to your kids can seem never-ending, but there are ways to ensure your family is eating healthier and is happy about it as well! If you have kids, you want them to eat the things that are good for them such as fruits, veggies, lean proteins and whole grains. Sometimes it can be awfully hard to convince them to eat the good stuff though. So, what can you do to make it easier for everyone?