Teaching Your Kids About Healthy Food Choices & Avoiding Mealtime battles

A Little Food for Thought…

Starting when our babies are around 6 months old, we begin feeding them regular food. It becomes evident very quickly what their preferences are. While they will readily gobble up sweet potato and banana, they might make a yucky face at smashed peas or other more bland foods. We all know the importance of establishing healthy eating habits, but this is often easier said than done. It is so much easier to get kids to eat what they love and avoid mealtime battles. However, our job as parents is to set our kids up for a lifetime of healthy and living. Here are some ways to nudge them along.

Get them involved

Starting when they are little, let your kids help out. If you are a stickler about messes, try and let your standards go a little bit. It is for a good cause. When kids have helped to make something, they are more inclined to eat it because they have some ownership and pride. I always remind my own kids how much better their food tastes when their love is stirred in as well as Mommy’s. Instilling a pride in their food preparation will start your littles on the path to healthier choices.

Make it taste good

Just because something is healthy, doesn’t mean it has to taste like twigs and leaves. One favorite snack I make for my kids is a sliced apple drizzled with peanut butter, then topped with some raisins and a few mini chocolate chips. The sweet addition is minimal in sugar, but just enough to make it “special”. Tricks like this really help to push the healthy stuff underneath.

Be sneaky

Mashing steamed cauliflower into mashed potatoes, mixing avocado and spinach into smoothies, and baking with whole wheat flour are all ways to mix the good stuff into the foods kids like.

Go on “field trips”

Taking your children apple picking, going to a dairy farm or picking eggs from the chicken pen, or growing your own garden are all ways to teach through hands-on learning. This can be another very effective way to get kids involved in making good food choices.

Don’t give up

Keep trying and encouraging your kids. Sometimes, it can take up to 10 tries before a child will learn to like something. With patience and persistence, you will get there!
 
Meet The Bella Behind the Blog: Kristen Farley is a mother of three and a domestic goddess. She is a former teacher who enjoys spending lots of time with her kids, healthy eating, volunteering at school, and mommy blogging for the masses.

Be on the lookout for more of Kristen’s expert advice and brilliant tips!