Easy Ways to Try and Encourage your Kids to Eat Well
Do you want your kids to eat great? If so, then you have come to the right place. This guide will show you the steps you can take to try and reward your kids, so you can make sure that they are as happy as possible when the time comes for them to try out new food. If you want to find out more then the only thing you have to do is take a look below.
Reward Chart
The first thing you need to do is set up a rewards chart. The great thing about doing this is that it will help to give clear reinforcement of any positive behavior that your kids display.
It is also a fantastic way for you to keep track of your children’s food habits. You can give them a star every time they finish their meal, or you can make an effort to reward them whenever they hit a particular target.
The great thing about doing this is that it turns the process of trying new food into a highly positive experience.
Gentle Encouragement
Kids probably aren’t going to try a new food, purely because you have put it in front of them. They may need a bit of a nudge or some encouragement at mealtime.
Use some key phrases so you can play on your child’s fear of missing out. This is a great way for you to encourage them to finish all of their food. Either way, you have to make sure that you do not push your kids and that you do what you can to avoid giving them bad experiences with food. If you do, then you may come to regret this later on.
Play with Food
Children have to be stimulated, and this is especially the case when something is to become part of their routine. If you want your kids to eat well then it helps to have them play around with their food. Allow them to have fun.
The aeroplane method of feeding is great if you have a toddler, but if you have an older child then they probably won’t appreciate this. If you want to work around that then try and involve them more in the general creation process.
Allow them to build their own plates, by serving chicken wraps. If you are hosting a buffet then try one of these shrimp recipes as it’s a great way for you to stimulate their palette.
The Same but Different
If you notice that there is a food your child is very fussy about then it could be the texture or the colour that is off-putting for them. If you want to do something about this, then try and present it in a very different way.
If vegetables happen to be the issue, then add them to a pasta sauce or even a soup. You can even attempt to add fruits to a smoothie or even a milkshake if you want to try something a bit different, so don’t be afraid to explore this. How you serve food will also make a major difference.