Some kids enjoy eating healthily and you don’t have to make any effort whatsoever to get them eating their fruit and veggies, while other kids are a nightmare, refusing anything that isn’t beige and bland! If you have a child who falls into the latter camp, there’s no need to tear your hair out – just try a few of these tricks to make healthy eating more fun and before you know it they’ll be eating carrot sticks and drinking kale smoothies…well maybe that’s a bit too optimistic!
Make a face
The most obvious way to inject a bit of fun into a healthy plate of food is to turn the food into a funny face or a caterpillar or a bunny rabbit… whatever you can manage with the food you have and your artistic skills that will engage the kids. If you try nothing else, try this because it really does work for a lot of children.
Get them involved
If your children are old enough to be involved in the cooking process, even if it’s just to wash the lettuce or pass you the ingredients you need, get them involved. If they’ve had a hand in preparing it themself, they’re far more likely to give it a try, and there are lots of easy healthy recipes like this amazing pitaya bowl recipe and these yummy granola bars, that are really easy to make. Remember to make it fun and try not to get annoyed if they don’t exactly follow your instructions to the letter!
Relax and enjoy family time
If you’re uptight about your kids eating what’s on their plate, they’ll feel it and they’ll be more likely to resist. So, be sneaky and remain as calm and relaxed as you can. Focus on being together at the table chatting and serving yourselves and you might be surprised what they will mindlessly pick up and eat. If you notice them trying something new, don’t make a big deal of it.
Use food coloring
Some kids are put off healthy dishes because they don’t like the color. Make it fun for them by adding a bit of organic food dye so that their dishes are pink, blue, green, rainbow-colored – whatever floats their boat, and you might just convince them to take a nibble.
Play with your food
Usually, parents tell children to stop playing with their food, but there really is nothing wrong with having fun at the dinner table, especially if you have young children who are fussy about their food. Whether you pretend to be a dinosaur devouring broccoli “trees” or you build a fort out of your carrot sticks, merging playtime with dinnertime can work a treat and you’ll have plenty of time to teach them proper table manners when they’re a bit older.
Try some of these tricks, stay relaxed in your attitude to food and give it some time, and you’ll probably find that your kids will start eating those fruit and veggies without a fight with every meal.
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