Kids who are fed healthy foods grow up loving healthy foods. “Oh! That was easy to say! I am all for feeding healthy but only if he will show some interest!!” – I can hear your mind’s voice. When the burger and pizza are so tempting and the finger-licking fries are fueling their cravings, who will heartily dig into a bowl of vegetables or fruits? It’s tough indeed! But knowing ‘Our first Wealth is Health’ and ‘Health requires Healthy Food’ we have to make kids like healthy foods.
In this article, we will see some ideas to create interest for kids in healthy foods. This will be the first post in the series ‘Healthy Eating for Kids’. Keep watching this section for more articles on inculcating healthy eating habits in children.
Why Should We Get Kids Like Healthy Foods?
We run behind them, we shout, we treat them with rewards, we force-feed, we threaten with consequences. What not? Unfortunately, all these ways to feed healthy foods won’t work with the kids, not for a long time. Even if they obey our commands or threats or kind gestures the success is only short-lived. They do it for us, not for themselves.
Most children are choosing healthy foods not out of their love for them but because we want them to choose so. This will not develop a genuine interest or liking for healthy foods.
Once they are out of their parent’s nest they are more likely to devour unhealthy foods and start developing poor food habits. So it is imperative to make kids like healthy foods NATURALLY. So how?
How Can We Make Kids Like Healthy Foods?
Kids are curious. We have to get their inquisitive minds involved, explore and fall in love with healthy and nutritious foods. Below are a few thoughts on how we can attract their attention and eventually make them choose healthy foods on their own.
All these are very simple ideas which we can easily adopt in our daily lives and make a difference in our child’s food preferences.
It is like guiding their subconscious minds to believe ‘ Healthy food is Good food ‘ without them knowing or rebelling against it.
1. Let them know what they Eat
Children trust and believe the things they see, explore and are familiar with. Until they know ‘ What is what? ‘ they won’t show interest in accepting or following anything. The same is applicable to bringing their interest in healthy foods. They should know the healthy foods and frequently be exposed to them.
Start Early – For young children, You can show picture books of vegetables, and fruits etc., When you feed them, you can relate to the picture you showed earlier and explain what they are eating. For instance, when you feed apples, you can show the apple (the real apple and the one in the book), cut the apple into slices in front of them and then feed them.
Shopping – In the case of older kids, you can engage them in preparing your grocery list and take them to the supermarket or grocery store. You can ask them to help you in picking the food items. The first couple of visits can be challenging. The store can have unhealthy items displayed. You may have to deal with some tantrums if the kids demand to get those things. You can patiently explain why you are not buying unhealthy items. After a few visits, they will stop protesting and acknowledge picking only healthy options.
Organizing – When you are back home from shopping, you can ask the kids to help you in unpacking, sorting and storing. You can teach which items are stored in the refrigerator and which items are stored outside and where.
Gardening – Whether it is a backyard garden or a terrace garden or just a couple of plants on the balcony you can involve the children in nurturing them. They can sow seeds, water and take care of the plants regularly. They will watch the fruit or vegetable grow. When it is time to reap, they can see you pick the veggies or fruits and use them for cooking.
The ultimate idea behind all these is to make children aware of the healthy foods which are part of their diet. This constant exposure will approve these healthy foods as ‘acceptable ones’ at the back of their minds.
2. Let them help you to Cook and Serve
Another way to boost kids’ interest in healthy foods is by involving them in the actual food making, plating and serving.
- When your child peeks into the kitchen, you can invite him in. You can tell what dish you are making for the day and explain the different ingredients that you are using and the process of making it.
- You can mention the main ingredients of every dish that you cook and serve so that they will know what they eat.
- Children can do age-appropriate cooking activities like washing fruits or vegetables, peeling, cutting, grating etc.,
- You can be encouraging without worrying about the mess they may create or the additional work you may have to do later. If you criticize, they will lack the interest to learn.
- You can show how to plate the food and how to serve it during family meals.
Cooking is a basic life skill. Whether your child is a boy or a girl knowing how to cook will make them independent. Engaging in making healthy foods will further enhance their curiosity about healthy eating.
3. Let them perceive the Benefits
Instead of saying abruptly that these foods are healthy, the children will be convinced if you can explain what good each food can do.
It will be Greek and Latin if you say “Carrots are rich in Vitamin A or Milk is rich in Calcium or Oranges are rich in Vitamin C”. However, “Eating carrots will improve your eyesight or drinking milk will strengthen your bones and help you run faster or Oranges will give you the power to fight germs” might work with the little ones.
Children’s books that elucidate the benefits of various healthy food items are also available.
If children start to believe that healthy food can make their body parts work well, help them to play and be happy, and prevent them from falling sick or taking bitter medicines, they might consider choosing healthy foods happily.
4. Healthy food can be Fancy and Tasty
If you can bring a moderate interest in healthy foods the next step will be to retain that interest. Even adults are under the impression that ‘ Food is either tasty or healthy but not both ‘. So children can also believe in that myth unless we quash it right away.
- You can take additional time to make and plate the food so that it looks appealing.
- You can make different recipes. If they don’t like beetroot as a stir fry, they might like it when sprinkled on top of a mini dosa or sandwich along with some grated cheese.
- Children may ask for in-between bites or snacks. You can have some healthy snacks readily available so that they don’t have to grab a biscuit or chips packet.
- Cookies, chocolates, and ice-creams are always their favourites. Why not make these items at home with only healthy ingredients? Pinterest and YouTube are flooded with such ideas.
The simple mantra is,
Don’t make healthy food boring.
You can dress their plate gorgeously with lip-smacking (healthy) recipes and attract them like a magnet. All you have to do is bring out the Master Chef in you!
5. Be the Role Model
Last but not least, you have to ‘ Eat healthy before them and appreciate the real food. ‘ Children learn more from what you do than what you say. So parents have to practise before preaching.
- You can have family meals and eat the same food which you advise the children to eat. This will encourage them to accept the food readily.
- If you are asking them to eat healthily and not following it yourself they will be confused.
- You can avoid making comments praising the taste and delicacies of hotel food. Well, outside food can be incredibly delicious (though not good for one’s health) and you can dine out once in a while. But if you make it look supreme over homemade food then it will set a wrong notion in the kids.
- You can appreciate the homemade food that is cooked healthy and with all the love. Children will learn to value and cherish the food they eat.
- Whether it was cooked by a family member or a maid, a simple “It tastes good” from everyone in the family will make a big difference. The one who cooked will feel loved and motivated. Children will learn to be grateful and more importantly, acknowledge ‘ Healthy food as good food ‘.
Simply put, Your child will follow your example, more than your advice.
These 5 points are very basic and easy to follow. All we can do is, spend time and be patient enough to create good and positive memories of healthy foods.
When children are adults and free to make their own decisions, we can be assured these memories and the long-term practice will lead them to choose healthy foods NATURALLY.
You can share your valuable ideas on how you make your kids like healthy foods in the comments section. If you found this post helpful, please share it with your friends and family. And don’t forget to visit our Healthy Food Corner.
I will meet you soon with another article in the series “Healthy Eating for Kids”. Thank you for reading!
Posts in the series – Healthy Eating for Kids
- 5 Ideas To Make Kids Like Healthy Foods Easily
- Top 11 Reasons Why Kids Dislike Food or Refuse to Eat
- Meal Times are No More Harder – 9 Ideas to Make Your Kids Like Eating
Pin this for Later
Image Credit : Photo by cottonbro from Pexels