children Archives - Carma's Cookery

Set a Good Example

Whether you realize it or not, you are probably going to be your child’s hero. They will mimic your speech, facial emotions, and even the food you consume. A Little Foodie is far more likely to develop if they see you enjoying your cuisine every day and don’t forget the odd foodie treat like taking them to their favorite pizza restaurants and having something a little naughty.

Provide Opportunities to Play with Food

It may sound messy, but introducing children to food through play is a great way to increase their familiarity and acceptance of it. There are so many entertaining methods to engage kids with food, such as making edible paint, food stamps, or conducting food taste tests or quizzes.

A rather awful evening meal can be the result of exhaustion at the end of the day and getting tired of cooking. Consider making mealtimes more enjoyable for the two of you by playing games, asking each other about their days, setting the table with elegant china, or hosting a picnic, buffet, or meze night. Why not hold kid-friendly food sampling sessions or have a theme night once a week? There are numerous methods to make the most of mealtimes and include the whole family.

Don’t Force It

Trying to force kids to eat can backfire. (It certainly did for my parents!) Our experiences dealing with parents have shown us that it does happen, and science confirms this. Take the pressure off, let them experiment with different foods, and continue to serve as an example for them. They’ll arrive.

It goes beyond simply getting someone to eat food to cultivate their love of it. Try to involve kids in the cooking process, whether that means letting them watch Jamie Oliver on TV for some TV-inspired ideas, asking them to help you plan the menu for this week, or getting them to help you chop, peel, and mix ingredients. When it comes to food, there is a lot of enjoyment to be experienced.

Let Them Decide to Try New Foods

Allowing your kids to make food decisions helps them gain independence and can also make them appreciate the food they are given more. Instead of just telling kids “no, you can’t have that,” it’s crucial to teach them how to make healthier decisions. Encourage them to consider what their bodies are truly telling them about what and why they want to eat — whether it be hunger, boredom, desires, or enjoyment – by asking them what they feel like eating.

Liven Up the Lunchbox

Put a little care in their lunchboxes. There are so many enjoyable ways to add some excitement to lunchboxes. A regular sandwich can be found in many lunch boxes. Try blending it. Quiche, pasta, toasties, vegetable kebabs, wraps, pita bread and dips, whole grain crackers, and rice salads can all use a little extra heat. You can also include a surprise element, such as a letter, amusing image, little toys, some ribbon, or a joke. This can give the lunch box a little extra flair and is a great way to get your kids excited about eating.

It can seem like a bit of a chore to get your little ones to adopt healthy eating practices, but it doesn’t need to be that way. So if you are struggling with ways to encourage your child to eat healthily, then look no further.

Start When They Are Young

It is a lot more difficult to try and implement changes for older children if they are already stuck in their ways. (I know this from experience because my family switched to healthy food when I was 5, and I couldn’t wait to go to Grandma’s house so I could eat salami and cookies!) So the best way to encourage your children to adopt good eating habits is to start when they are young. Their taste buds will soon adapt to more healthy foods such as fruit and vegetables and will not see them as something unappealing. So the sooner you can introduce these foods the better.

Interact With Them While They Are Eating

Children like to interact with their food, especially when they are young, so you could talk and pick up the food with them to make it seem more interesting. They also like to play around with the texture of their food and see how it feels before they eat it. So definitely encourage this if you find it is useful for them to be able to try out different flavors and textures.

Let Them Get Messy

If they end up getting a bit messy it doesn’t matter — if they end up eating their food in the end. So try not to be too discouraged if they want to pick up their food and see how the texture feels before they eat it. The main priority — ultimately — is that you get your child to eat healthily. It will also provide you with a funny photo opportunity too if they get a little messy.

Make Fruit More Appealing

It doesn’t need to be seen as a scary ingredient to your children, so if you try to be a little more creative in how you present it, such as making smoothies or getting them involved in preparing it then they might be more inclined to try a new fruit.

Start With Small Portions

Instead of presenting them with an entire fruit, you could encourage them to try different ones by cutting them up into smaller portions. Choosing an array of fruits such as bite-sized apple slices or a handful of grapes will enable them to try different fruits and hopefully come across one that they like. You will then know which fruit they prefer best which you can then implement into their diet.

Get Them Involved In The Kitchen

Encouraging them to participate in the kitchen will get them interested in food and cooking. Allow them to help you make a particular dish that is full of healthy ingredients. Cooking can be a fun and interactive activity, so if your child is able to help out in the kitchen, they may show more of an interest in food and how to prepare tasty meals.

Try Different Cuisines

You want to try and expand your child’s taste buds as much as possible so that they are less likely to become fussy eaters. Exploring different cuisines at home and cooking a variety of dishes is a good way for your child to be able to try out different food flavors and combinations.

Present The Food Nicely

If you make their plate of food seem appealing then they are going to be more likely to eat it. When they are young this could involve turning the food on the plate into a specific shape such as an animal or a smiley face. If it encourages them to interact with their food and makes it more appealing then they are much more likely to try it, compared to just piling it on a plate. My father used to do this with pancakes, and I loved it!

Persistant Patience Will Help Get Your Child To Eat Healthily

Overall you want to try and encourage good eating habits when your child is young so that they are more likely to want to eat healthy foods. It doesn’t need to be difficult to get your child to eat healthily. If you can be patient and persist with your methods then there is no reason why your child cannot enjoy an array of healthy foods.