We know that we need to eat healthy food to stay fit and strong. We need it for the nutrients and vitamins it gives us. We need it to function properly and to boost our immune system. So the same is going to be true for our children. However, whereas we can pick and choose what we eat, when it comes to kids, they rely on the adults in their lives to do this for them and to get it right. With that in mind, here are some ways to help your kids eat more healthily.
Plan Ahead
Depending on the age of your children, they might need to eat every few hours or so – the older they get, the longer they can go between meals. The point is that you should plan meals and snacks for the week and stick to the plan, come what may. Even if you aren’t at home and you’re staying with relatives, or you’re on vacation, for example, you should at least stick to the timings, if not the actual food plan. The further in advance you plan, the more ready you will be when it comes to putting that plan into action – you will have done your shopping and have all the food ready so that your kids eat more healthily, and you can stop tantrums caused by hunger in their tracks.
Keep It Simple
If the reason you’ve not created a healthy eating plan before now is that it seems too complicated, or you don’t think you’re a good enough home cook to create the meals that will work best, don’t worry – sometimes the simplest meals can be the best ones. Don’t get too complicated and overload the plate with healthy items because this will only feel off-putting to your little ones who, confronted with lots of new things all at once, will be much more likely to push their food around the plate than eat it.
Instead, keep it simple and delicious, including some healthy items along with some that are less healthy (not unhealthy, of course). Introducing a new diet little by little is a much easier way to go about things than changing everything all at once. A great place to start is with the sides in your meal; the best vegan cornbread recipe is a perfect example of the kind of things you can do.
Eat Together – Eat The Same
Are you in the habit of preparing one thing for your children and then something else for you later on? It’s a much better idea to all eat together. Not only do you just have one dish to prepare or reheat if you’re using your batch cooking portions, but you can also show your children that you are eating the same healthy food as them, encouraging them to try it.
On top of this, when you eat together as a family, you are able to get to know your children better – you can talk to them about their day and what they are looking forward to or plan days out or trips away. Eating together shows just how important meals are, it gives you more time to spend with your family. Children learn by example, so this is the ideal opportunity to teach them something important that they can use for the rest of their lives.
