Tips on getting kids to eat healthy

A friend once shared with me her clever trick for ensuring that her children ate their broccoli and carrot. She pureed the vegetables and mixed it in the pasta and pizza toppings. I thought it was a great idea and emulated it with my own kids till I met an aunt whose children all in their 30s were struggling with obesity due to poor eating habits. She regretted growing them on high sugar and oily food – a habit which was difficult for them to shake off even in their 30s.

It was then that I decided to stop adding puree to oily and rich food and started inculcating in my children a love for fresh green vegetables, fruits and a healthy diet. Soon, I was not only saving myself the trouble of pureeing and sneaking the stuff into their food but also developing in them a life-long healthy eating habit. Here is how I did it.

Tip1
Enjoy the healthy food yourself. Children are very good at emulating. They do what they see. If you relish a bowl of salad, chances are that your child would do the same.

Tip 2
Take kids with you to the market when shopping for foodstuff. This will make them enthusiastic about eating the healthy stuff they pick up at the market. Show them all the colourful vegetables and fruits and tell them how a colourful diet is healthy as well.

Tip 3
Introduce healthy and new kinds of foods to the children at a time when they are hungry or when they are with friends on a playdate. Children are often less fussy with friends and hence would be more willing to try new things. They are also less fussy when they are hungry.

Tip 4
Have healthy snacks and fruits available at home. Don’t stack up your kitchen with chocolates and expect your child to eat carrots. Preferably stop buying packet snacks and chocolates. If they are not readily available chances are they will not be picked.

Tip 5
If your child vehemently says “no” to something you want him to eat - accept it. Don’t force your child at that time. Instead, relish it yourself and introduce it to him some other time.

All these tips have worked for me. My children enjoy healthy food and I get stares at restaurants when my boys munch carrots and broccoli as if they were chocolates and fries. And, yes they do eat chocolates and fries, but once in a while and they don’t miss it.

Saba Ahmed