Health Articles

Like most parents, you care about the health of your kids, and you know that means trying to get them to eat foods that are healthy for them. However, tell me… have you been trying to get your child or children to eat healthy snacks, yet nothing seems to be working for you?  Well, often the problem is that good parents such as yourself try to push their children to eat healthy foods without making an effort to make the food appealing.

Listen, the first thing you may want to consider is to work with the healthy foods your child does like. Most children enjoy fresh fruits over vegetables. If this is the case with your child, or children, blend fruits with vegetables into smoothies. They will not even know you have done this because the sweetness of the fruit will camouflage the taste of the vegetables. The bullet is a good tool for this. You can mix fruit and vegetables with yogurt. They will think they are getting a treat.

You know, children are funny when it comes to eating vegetables after a certain age. It is not the taste of the vegetable that turns children off, but rather the look of them. Anything green will always find a way to escape your child’s mouth after the age of three. You can also entice kids to eat more vegetables by trying to create a more appealing presentation. Check out the few pointers below on what to do.

Broccoli is a delicious, healthy food. Children will usually eat broccoli as long as there is cheese on it. Instead of drenching the broccoli with melted cheese, choose a cheese you can sprinkle on the vegetable. This way you are not completely hiding the vegetable, just giving it added flavor. Let your child sprinkle on the cheese themselves. This will make them feel like they are in control.

Other healthy vegetables such as zucchini or squash can be easily dressed up for your child to eat. Cut them into circles, coat them with seasoned bread crumbs, and place them inside the oven for 30 minutes or until golden brown. Cook some rice as a side and have your child put eyes and a nose on the circles to add a face, using the rice. Not only will your child be eating healthy, but they will enjoy the meal, as this is their creation!

Also, you can get your child to eat healthy snacks and foods by giving them a variety to choose from. By placing carrots, celery, cucumbers, raw broccoli and cauliflower on a plate with a few low fat dressings, will allow them to choose which vegetable they want to eat. The dipping of the vegetable is all part of the fun, as they not only choose the vegetable but also the dressing.

This will give the child the illusion that they are the “boss”, as they get to choose which food they will eat, eliminating that struggle between parent and child.

So you see, it is not as difficult as it may seem to get your child or children to eat healthy foods. A little creativity will go a long way to decrease any power struggles between you both. Let your child set the pace, and choose what he or she likes. The best key to success is to never force them, but guide them to a happy, healthy, nutritious lifestyle.