Encouraging Children to Eat Healthy
By Jane Sheppard
Many parents are frustrated at times because
our children won’t eat the foods we know to
be healthy for them. Simply being informed
about a healthy diet for children is not enough.
If your child does not want to eat healthy
foods, it does them no good at all. So what
does a parent do? Give up and take the path
of least resistance? This path is serving
the typical American diet which we know leads
to poor health. Our children deserve better.
But how do we convince them of that?
Start from the very beginning, if possible.
You can give your child a solid foundation
with good nutrition by breastfeeding for as
long as possible. Breast milk is vital to
a baby’s growing body and developing immune
system. Let your child decide when it’s time
to wean. Even three and four-year-olds receive
substantial benefits from breast milk. When
they are not eating as well as you’d like
them to, at least they will be getting some
nutrition from your milk. More importantly,
they are receiving the emotional benefits
that are unquestionably valuable in keeping
them healthy. Begin to give your children
a healthy whole foods diet the moment you
start them on solids.
What about when children get older and they
learn quickly from the world around them that
there are foods that are quite different and
may seem more appealing than what they are
used to getting? Or if healthy eating is new
to you and your family, your kids may be quite
possessive of their junk foods. It’s not a
good idea to force the healthy foods. Start
slowly and gradually substitute with appealing
alternatives. Kids need to be able to indulge
now and then in sweets, but a well-nourished
child does not crave sweets. Try not to label
a food “good” or “bad”. This can create guilt
and shame around wanting unhealthy foods,
causing cravings and food addictions. A better
way may be to call foods such as broccoli
or whole grains “everyday” foods and cake
and cookies “sometimes” foods. If children
are made to “clean their plate” or are bribed
with desert, they may feel that healthy eating
is a chore. Some parents even serve a healthy
desert with
the meal so all foods have the same emotional
appeal.
Eating should be fun and rewarding. It’s
our job to provide wholesome, nutritious foods
and their job to decide how much they want
to eat. Kids will eat as much as they need.
They will not let themselves go hungry. Meals
should be relaxing, fun and pleasant. Nagging
children to eat what you want them to does
not work and is not respectful.
It can be a real challenge to attend parties
or other affairs with tables loaded with “treats”
consisting of sugar, white flour and hydrogenated
oils. You know your child is going to lunge
for them right away. I’ve learned not to ban
these things entirely because it can create
feelings of being deprived and wanting to
have it even more. I put limits on it, making
sure my daughter knows these are “sometimes”
foods for special occasions. I also take the
necessary steps to boost my daughter’s immune
system before and after this invasion of junk
to her body. At home, I make healthy treats
using unrefined sweeteners, whole grains and
unrefined oils.
Vegetables are the foods most likely to be
shunned by children. There are many creative
ways to encourage your children to eat and
love vegetables. Children need to eat frequently
and snacking is important. Avoid nibbling
or grazing on filling foods that are not nutrient-rich
or filling up on juice or soda. Make a snack
of creatively appealing fruits or vegetables.
Serving them with healthy dips makes them
more fun. When it’s mealtime, serve vegetables
as a first course “appetizer” when kids are
the most hungry; then add the rest of the
meal after they’ve eaten the vegetables. Experiment
with different sauces to make them taste better
and be more fun. Almost everything tastes
better with a sprinkle of lemon juice. Explore
and find a variety of vegetables and, when
serving ones your kids have never tried, get
excited about them. Mash or cream veggies
into stews or soups. Try juicing vegetables.
Some children love fresh carrot juice with
added greens. Assume your child is going to
love salads, greens and other veggies. Show
them how much you
love these wonderful foods. Set a great example
by eating healthy yourself.
Get your kids involved with the growing,
shopping and cooking of vegetables. Farmers’
Markets can be a fun shopping trip. Teach
them what vegetables will do for their body
and how important they are. Children are fascinated
with and want to learn about their bodies.
The more they learn, the better choices they
will make. Most importantly, don’t give up
too soon. When introducing new foods, serve
them at least five different times before
giving up. Don’t take the first “no” for a
final answer and think they’ll never eat it
again. You can even present it again shortly
after it is turned down. You can do all this
calmly and respectfully without nagging or
bribing.
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Use
the information provided on this site as an
educational resource for determining your
options and making your own informed choices.
It is not intended as medical advice or to
diagnose, prescribe, or treat any specific
illness.