When you become a parent, your goal is simple: to create a wonderful life for your kids, and to teach them how to be a great person. Being a child’s number one role model can be tough; you’re only human after all, and we all make mistakes that can set a bad example to a young child. Many people say they became better people when they had children - they stopped smoking, began working harder, and generally had more of a positive outlook on life.
One of the most important factors of living a good life is the food you eat. Food is a complicated subject in modern culture; part of the world lives in excess, while others have very little food at all. If you are lucky enough to choose what food you put on the table, that choice is a big responsibility - especially when you have young children to take care of.
Making sure your kids eat healthily isn’t as simple as buying the right ingredients. Most parents know that once kids get wind of the finer tasting things - sugar, mainly! - it is hard to convince them that eating a balanced diet is a good idea.
In this post, you’ll find out how to encourage your children to eat healthy foods, while maintaining a positive relationship to food as a family in the meantime.
Starting them young
When you want to instil good habits in your children, it is important to start early. When your children begin to wean off milk and start eating solids, you should ensure you are feeding them a balanced diet, with as much homemade mash as possible. You can blend greens, fruits, vegetables and everything in between in order to feed your child a delicious, natural diet.
Of course, there will always be things your child doesn’t like. Don’t panic! Try to feed them as varied a diet as possible while avoiding throw-it-on-the-floor moments! You can’t expect your child to like everything you cook, but by starting at a young age, you introduce their body to an array of foods that will increase their appetite for healthy ingredients.
Sneaking healthy foods into exciting “treats”
When it comes to trying new foods and getting nutrition into your children’s everyday diet, it’s all about mind over matter. If your child has decided he or she doesn’t like fruits and vegetables, you can “dress them up” in fabulous treats that are healthy - and that your child will love.
Let’s explore a few ideas for healthy treats that sneak in plenty of vitamins.
- Healthy muffins. Healthy muffins for kids are the perfect way to keep them happy while giving their body the nutrition it needs. Muffins can be made with low sugar and plenty of fruits like blueberries and bananas, to ensure your little one is eating their five a day.
- Sweet fruit smoothies containing hidden veggies! Fruit is naturally sweet, meaning that your child might be more drawn to it than they are to vegetables like kale. If your child refuses veggies but likes fruit, why not hide some vegetables within the smoothie? For example, if you are making a strawberry and banana smoothie, try putting some frozen spinach or a handful of kale into the mix. It doesn’t affect the flavour, and will get your kids consuming the vegetables their body needs.
- Mashed potato mixed with root vegetables! If your kid loves mashed potato but refuses to eat other root vegetables such as squash or carrots, mash these in with your regular potato. If you soften them enough (and even add something tasty like cheese to disguise the taste) you will find that your children gobble it up as fast as possible, taking in all those great root vegetable nutrients.
Conclusion: food as a part of family life
One immovable fact about your relationship with food is that you have to make it a part of your life, not a chore you suffer through. Cooking every single day can be boring and intensive, but providing your children with a great diet that will instil good habits as they grow into adults, is priceless.
By making food a part of your family life - sitting around a table at the end of each day, talking and laughing - you will make food a very special, even sacred thing, rather than making it a chore to finish before you move onto the next task.
Having fussy children can be difficult, but using these tips will help to improve your situation and build a more healthy relationship to food for the whole family.
One immovable fact about your relationship with food is that you have to make it a part of your life, not a chore you suffer through. Cooking every single day can be boring and intensive, but providing your children with a great diet that will instil good habits as they grow into adults, is priceless.
By making food a part of your family life - sitting around a table at the end of each day, talking and laughing - you will make food a very special, even sacred thing, rather than making it a chore to finish before you move onto the next task.
Having fussy children can be difficult, but using these tips will help to improve your situation and build a more healthy relationship to food for the whole family.
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