- 1. Having good food in the fridge
- 2. Always have healthy food at meals
- 3. Eating new foods in front of children
- 4. Let the kids participate in the kitchen
- 5. Avoid distractions at mealtime
- 6. Have a lot of patience
- 7. Test new recipes
To do dietary reeducation with children, it is necessary to first change the parents' habits, especially through simple actions, such as not buying treats for home and always having salad on the lunch and dinner table.
Children tend to imitate their parents' attitudes, which is why it is necessary to unite the whole family in changing eating habits, which can be achieved through the following steps:
1. Having good food in the fridge
The first step in making children eat well is to have good food in the refrigerator, pantry and cupboards. This way, they will always have good options to choose from, and even when they have a tantrum to eat junk food like stuffed cookies and sodas, they won't have it at home.
During the tantrum of children, parents should open the cupboards to show that they do not have the food desired by the little ones and to show other options of snacks available.
2. Always have healthy food at meals
Inserting healthy foods in meals, even if children do not want to consume them, it is important for them to get to know new foods and be curious about them.
Parents can always make salads and chopped fruits available, and nuts and natural yogurt with honey for snacks, for example.
3. Eating new foods in front of children
To encourage children to try new flavors, a good strategy is to eat healthy foods in front of the little ones, so they can see how delicious and healthy they are.
Often children do not eat fruits, vegetables and different preparations because their parents themselves do not have this habit, so it is necessary to change and show them that the change is good.
4. Let the kids participate in the kitchen
Allowing children to help with food preparation is also a great way to encourage them to learn about food and understand how the food was prepared in a loving and delicious way.
Sometimes, when they see the dish ready, children simply reject the preparation because they find it strange and do not understand how it was made. Thus, when participating in the preparation and cooking process, they can start experimenting with new flavors and get excited for when everything is ready on the table.
5. Avoid distractions at mealtime
It is important to avoid distractions such as television, tablet or cell phone during meals, a rule that applies to both children and parents.
Despite the mess that is usually made, the meal has to be a moment of attention to the children, during which they receive compliments and advice in a pleasant way, making the meal always a special moment.
6. Have a lot of patience
Patience is always necessary during the education of children, and the same is true of nutritional education. Children will not give in easily to new foods, and it takes time and patience to convince them to try new flavors.
And the work doesn't stop at the first attempt: in general, you have to try the same food several times until your taste buds get used to it and start enjoying the new flavor.
7. Test new recipes
Testing and learning new recipes is important to innovate and flavor healthy food, which is often seen as bland and tasteless.
Learning to use natural spices and fresh foods brings more health and more pleasure to the family during meals. See more tips for getting your child to eat fruits and vegetables.
