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All mommies know the importance of a balanced diet for the growth of their little ones. The toughest task in feeding a nutritive meal to those tinnie- minnies is the intake of veggies. Poor mums are left with the question of how to make kids eat vegetables? They leave no stone un-turned to get those veggies down their throats! But kids are kids and they always run out of your grip, when being fed the poor chewies! Pureeing, mashing, disguising will not work for long. The children need to learn to eat them in the natural form. Sounds quite a task eh? We present to you some tips which can help you pour nutrition rich veggies into their hungry tummies!
Set an Example
Children don’t learn as much by explaining than they learn through imitation! Practical demos work for them much better. So before you lecture them to finish off the vegetables, make sure you have done that yourself! Encourage kids to eat healthy and copy you but don’t offer rewards as it will make them dependent on these and that will lead to a relapse once these rewards are gone!
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Introduce Early
Smaller the child, easier it is to teach him! As soon as the child has developed his palate, introduce as many foods as possible. The sooner he gets a taste of veggies, the easier it will be to make him eat those. Once the child starts playing, he will try to wiggle out of your hold and making him eat will be quite a task! You could start by mashing veggies which are easier to eat and then move on to serving him food in the form eaten by adults.
Modify Recipes
Figure out your child’s favorite foods and work out on recipes to involve veggies in them! Pasta, noodles, pizza and sandwiches are usually a child’s favorite and can be transformed into the veggie versions. Try adding carrots, capsicums, tomatoes, mushrooms, etc apart from cheese to these delicacies to increase their nutritive value.
Separate dish is not an option
Don’t give in to your child’s demand of preparing a separate dish for him. Make a rule, that the whole family will be served the same food and being choosy is not an option. Make him sit with the family at the table so he can see what all is being eaten by the family. He might try to imitate even!
Go Grocery Shopping with him
Encourage your child to shop for veggies with you. Make him pick them for you. In this way he will not only learn about these but can create his interest in food! He is more likely to try dishes which have been prepared by ingredients bought by him! The value of money can also be taught to him through this exercise and might stop him from wasting food (added advantage).
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Involvement in Cooking
Taking your child’s help in easy kitchen errands like bringing veggies from refrigerator, washing them, choosing between more ripe tomatoes, etc can create his interest in eating. He might find it gripping to taste dishes which he has seen being prepared or has lend a helping hand in its preparation! Eating properly and helping in kitchen, two way gain!
No Forcing
Parents often impose restrictions on their child to finish off their food before getting up from the table. They feel that scaring him will make him oblige but the reverse happens. The child suspects food and tries to avoid it as much as he can. Excessive lecturing or forcing can distance him from you! So try to relax and give him space! Encourage him but refrain yourself from forcing!
Making children eat healthy and nutritious food has always been a challenge for young parents. Through this article we have attempted to ease out the process for you by providing creative ways to get kids to eat vegetables. We hope that it has proved useful. We will be right back with more such interesting tips and tricks for healthy eating, till then keep working in the direction of your health!
