Eating well is so important, especially when your children are young. Unfortunately, sugar tastes significantly better than fruit, and so is generally so much more appealing to your kids. Therefore, it's your responsibility to be sure that your children don't have access to the sugary sweets and do have access to the leafy greens. While most of the time it is an uphill battle, following are some tricks to make the hill a little less steep.
Although this one is a bit taboo nowadays, it worked on me and my whole childhood: when you don't finish your vegetables you don't get dessert! Some people say that you shouldn't bribe kids with junk food, or force them to eat if they don't desire to, but it undeniably a technique to get them finishing the healthy food on their plate! Dessert should never be thought to be bad, it just needs to be moderated. Allow your kids to have a small piece of chocolate, or some ice cream in a cone. Reward systems will work with regard to getting your kids to consume veggies.
Don't force them to eat every single vegetable under the sun. Example, many individuals don't like Brussels sprouts. If you try your kids on them and they don't like them, then don't force it. If you make them eat one type, they'll are inclined to lump everything similar to it in the "yuck" category, and thus you will have lots of trouble getting them to eat a lot more. Instead, pick and choose their favorites, or at least the ones that they eat without too much fuss and put them in the meal instead.
Another good trick is finding foods that children love to eat and somehow incorporating vegetables and fruits into them. For example, make blueberry muffins rather than chocolate chip. Make your pizzas instead of purchasing them, mix fruits into yogurt, the probabilities are endless! This will likely allow them to still eat their favorite meals, but in a way that is definitely a lot better for them.
Getting kids to eat veggies can often be the toughest challenge. Rather than just serving them up, try them with something else. A great way to ensure your kids get leafy greens is usually to feed them celery with peanut butter. Most kids will eat that with no fuss. Another great one is making stir fry's. Keep experimenting with the sauces until you find one that your kids really like. They will then barely recognize they're eating broccoli, beans and other "gross" food that they normally refuse to eat.
Trick your kids with their lunches. As an alternative to making them their salad sandwiches, cut everything up and wrap it separately to ensure that they have to place it together themselves. It makes them feel as if they're accountable for their own lunch, and that they are playing a huge part in it. With this sense of pride, they're way more prone to eat it as it is fun to make. By using ones imagination to come up with good healthy foods, you should have well fed healthy children.
Cedric McIntyre is a Health Fanatic. He loves writing about eating healthy, keeping fit and longevity. For more and tips and information, go to http://healthy-eating-for-children.com
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