Many parents struggle daily to get their children to eat healthful foods at mealtime. While hot dogs, fast-food burgers and fries, luncheon meats, or high-fat macaroni and cheese might be your child’s meals of choice, a balanced diet of nutritious and wholesome foods is essential to the health and well-being of growing children.
So, what can parents do to get their youngsters to eat right and still keep the peace at the family dinner table?
“For starters, get your children more involved in the kitchen and in the planning of the dinner menu,” said Maryann Codd, Pediatric Outpatient Dietitian at Cooper. “Children love participating in hands-on activities that get them involved in the creation of something,” she said.
And, with the holiday season officially upon us, now is a good time to include your children in the preparation of meals.
“Have your ‘little helper’ hand you the ingredients or help you stuff the turkey. Maybe there’s a family recipe that everyone would enjoy preparing. It’s a great way to start new family traditions by making new recipes each year. Not only will it bring the family closer together during the holidays, but your children will be proud of their accomplishments and will want to sample what they’ve helped make. With so many different nutritious foods being made during the holidays, such as turkey, cranberries, string beans, cauliflower, broccoli and even sweet potatoes, your child will have a variety of healthful options to choose from at mealtime,” Codd said.
Another way to get your children to eat a variety of foods without hassle or fuss is to plan the menu with some consideration to their likes and dislikes. This can mean serving at least one item that you know the children will eat, along with the menu you’ve already planned. This makes the mealtime more enjoyable and takes the pressure off the parents and the children.
Codd offers other ways to help your children eat healthfully:
- Eat with your children at the table. Children learn by example. Sitting on the couch and eating a take-out will teach them to do the same. Sitting down with them to a nutritious home-cooked meal at the table will teach them the importance of home cooking, social interaction and establishing a routine.
- Make sure your children eat breakfast. Ensuring your children have fortified breakfast cereals with iron and vitamin B will give them a great start to the day and establish a good routine that spills over to adulthood.
- Increase fruits and vegetables. Children love to “dip” foods, so add low-fat ranch dressing to fresh vegetables, and yogurt dip for fruits. Cut fruits and vegetables into fun, kid-size shapes and easy-to-handle sizes. It’s not a good idea to “hide” these foods in other recipes. This only makes children suspicious and discourages them from being willing to “try” new foods.
“Remember, food can be a fun way to teach children how to eat healthfully. Get them involved, and share with them in the creation of great meals that the whole family can enjoy,” Codd said.