If you’re looking for ways of persuading children to eat more fruits and vegetables, you are not alone. Every parent wishes there was a magical button that would make the little ones eat healthily. However, here are some creative and fun ways to help you incorporate fruits and vegetables into your children’s meals without provoking their anger. You can consider the following tips:
- Model good eating habits. You are the first role model for your children. They watch what you eat and listen to your remarks about the food you eat at home. Hence, let them watch you enjoy fruits and vegetables.
- When you go shopping for food, take the children with you. Allow them to pick the fruits and vegetables they want to eat. Also, involve them in preparing salads and smoothies. These two are easy to prepare and eat and can be served as snacks.
- Wash all fruits and place them at an easily accessible place. Then encourage your babies to serve themselves regularly. If the children are very young, they should eat fruits like grapes in your presence because berries can choke them.
- Consider adding fruits and vegetables to baked foods. For instance, you can add carrots and pumpkins to chapatis and bananas to pancakes. Also, you can involve them in cooking such to stimulate their appetites.
- You can make snacks like samosas with vegetables in place of meat or samosas filled with potatoes and ndengu.
- Whenever you go on trips, resist the urge to carry junk food. Instead, pack fruits like oranges and apples. You can also make fresh juice and vegetable sandwiches at home.
- If you must shop for snacks along the way, go for the modified choices like banana crisps, boiled maize and canned fruits.
- When making soups and stew, make sure you add enough vegetables. For example, have you made pumpkin soup for your children? The thicker the soup, the better the taste.
- As you present food at the table, create unique designs of fruits and salads. You must have seen how caterers create beautiful layouts during events. You can even involve the children in developing the patterns.
- Allow the toddler to use food to play. For example, using his hands, let him take some Ugali, roll it, add some spinach on top and eat it. Make a game out of that exercise.
- Don’t force your children to eat fruits and vegetables. Instead, persuade them through small treats like promising to give them dessert if they finish their greens.
- When they sit to watch their favorite TV programs, insist that they must eat fruit or bowl of vegetables as they enjoy the program.
- Sometimes allow your babies to suggest what they want you to cook for them.
Convincing children to eat more fruits and vegetables is easy, but it takes time. Plus, nothing is perfect, so you need to allow for cheat days once in a while.
