How to Make Your Child Eat Healthy?

Encouraging your children to eat healthily, not be fussy eaters and not waste food – can be quite challenging at times. As a parent, I know how difficult it is to feed your child when there is an incessant "no-no" and they simply refuse to open their mouth! I have learned from my experience in this situation, to literally declare a ceasefire, hands down, and stop force-feeding them. Eventually, all kids do get hungry, and you will notice that sometimes that’s the best time to feed them properly and patiently. However, this cannot be made a habit either! New parents need to learn some tips on promoting healthy eating habits for your child. [Read More - Ways to Ensure Child Eat a Healthy & Balanced Diet]

Here, a Pro-parent blogger talks about ways to encourage healthy eating habits for our kids – the importance of being a positive role model, enjoying mealtimes as a family, not force-feeding them, and some more tips.

Ways to Encourage Healthy Eating Habits

Here are some tips I would like to share with all parents about inculcating good eating habits in our children -

• Encourage your child to finish his/her food and say a big NO to wastage. With your older child, try to explain to them the value of healthy food, and why wasting food is wrong.
• Set a standard place like the dining table for meals, and this should be for all family members - so your kids will watch you and follow you.
• Prepare healthy food like vegetables and fruits in different forms and varieties every day.
• Educate them on the importance of a healthy, balanced diet, and eating vegetables and fruits regularly.
• Avoid distractions like TV, loud noise, or even phone calls while eating.
• Create a happy and healthy environment all the time, but especially during family mealtimes.
• Try to set standardized meal times for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and this practice should be started in their early years.

I am sure we all have many more great ideas to help our children be happy and healthy.

Be a Positive Role Model

As parents, we are our kid’s first teachers and role models, and our home is their first school. Children are quite impressionable, and when your child is at that stage where they start noticing and watching you, it’s the best time to work on yourself. I have often come across parents complaining that their kids don’t eat much home food and love to eat unhealthy fast food, junk food, etc. If as a parent you are wondering why that is – the answer is that your child is probably imitating you! Your children always observe what, where and when you eat. So make it a point to follow healthy eating habits yourself and be a positive role model for your child. [Read Part I - Role Modeling For Your Children]

Please share yours! Happy parenting and happy living!

Did you find Payal’s tips on helping your child eat healthy useful? Is your child a fussy eater? How do you help them eat healthy? Do share your experiences and learning with us in the comments section below. We love hearing from you!