To help children eat healthier and more nutritionally rich foods, it is important to adopt strategies that help educate their palate, which can be done by offering foods with less intense flavors, such as fruits and vegetables, for example. .
Furthermore, during the process it is important to prevent the child from eating too many sweets during the day and that feeding takes place when the child is actually hungry and in a calm and pleasant environment for the child.
Some tips that can help your child have a healthier and more varied diet are:
1. Reduce the amount of sweets per week
It is good that the child is used to eating little sweets, because they are rich in calories and do not contain nutrients that help the child to grow up healthy, in addition to being able to harm their teeth, for example. Therefore, lollipops and gum should be kept to a minimum and afterwards it is a good idea to brush the child’s teeth to reduce the risk of cavities.
Therefore, it is recommended that sweets be restricted to once a week and only after the child has eaten the entire meal. Furthermore, as it is common for children to copy the behavior of people they live with, it is also important that parents, siblings or relatives avoid eating sweets in front of the child, as this makes it easier for the child to get used to the smaller amount of sweets. .
2. Give the food more than once
Even if the child says they don’t like a certain food, you should insist on eating it. This is because some research indicates that a person can taste a certain food up to 15 times before deciding whether they like it or not.
Therefore, if your child shows that he doesn’t like something, insist at least 10 more times before giving up. Insist but don’t force it, if the child shows that he is going to vomit, it is better to give it some time and wait a little longer before offering it again.
3. Let her eat alone
From 1 year of age onwards, children should eat alone, even if this is initially very messy and messy. A large bib and sheets of kitchen paper can help keep everything clean and tidy when the meal is over.
If the child does not put a spoonful of food in his mouth, avoid making threats but encourage his desire to eat by eating in front of him and praising the food.
4. Vary the presentation of the food
A good strategy for children to learn to eat fruits and vegetables is to vary the way these foods are presented. The texture and color of food also influence taste. If your child doesn’t like shaved carrots, try cooking carrot squares alongside the rice to see if they eat better that way.
Furthermore, another way to make the child feel more attracted and want to eat is the way the dish is presented. In other words, colorful dishes, with drawings or with the food organized in a way that looks like a character, for example, can stimulate the child’s appetite and desire to eat everything that is there.
5. Pay attention to the environment
If the environment is one of stress and irritation, the child is more likely to throw tantrums and reject food, so maintain a pleasant conversation at the table with the baby or child, showing interest in their reaction.
Don’t let her interrupt her meal for more than 15 minutes, otherwise the desire to eat will disappear.
6. Make sure the child is hungry
To ensure that the child eats the entire meal, it is important to ensure that the child is hungry. Therefore, one option is to avoid giving your child food about 2 hours before a meal, especially bread or sweets.
Check out more tips in the video below on what to do to help your child eat:
