June 14, 2021
This is a partnered post. I only publish sponsored content that I believe my readers will benefit from in some way and fit my brand. The content was edited and partially written by me. All images are mine or credited to friends!
Ensuring your kids are eating healthy and have healthy food habits is certainly a priority when you are a parent but it can also be a struggle, especially for pickier eaters.
Healthy Habits
The best way to help kids develop healthy eating habits is to model those habits yourself. Should sweets be off limits? Nope, just eaten in moderation. It is also a good idea to introduce a variety of fruit and vegetables to your kids from a young age. We love growing food or visiting farmer’s markets to find beautiful, local fruits and veggies. This will provide kids with a plethora of new foods to try and perhaps learn to enjoy. If they simply do not like a particular food, it is important to not try and force them to eat it, as this can be really discouraging and could even create anxiety and bad perceptions and habits around food and eating.
Plan Your Meals
Meal planning has saved us, especially during the pandemic. I have sung my praises of meal planning over and over and have come to enjoy grabbing cookbooks or looking for new recipes online to create a meal plan at the beginning of the week which then transfers into a grocery list. I’m always grateful after a busy day to have dinner already thought through. And yes, every once in a while, I scrap the meal plan that day and order take-out or delivery.
Add More Flavor
Try adding extra condiments like various spices to savory dishes to liven up the vegetables and a little lemon juice with sugar to fruit for dessert. Dips are always a fun addition in our house too such as ranch, a peanut sauce, or some fresh guacamole. This will help encourage the kids to eat new foods or at the very least try them. If the food is bland and not very exciting it is not going to encourage them to eat it. Sometimes all you need is a bit more flavor. Tip: we don’t call seasoning “spices’ ‘ because of the heat association. Instead we call it “seasoning.”
Sit Down Family Meals
If you get into the habit of having family meals together from a young age, kids are more likely to pick up good eating habits, such as utilizing cutlery properly and being more adventurous with foods. It is also important to create one meal for everyone as opposed to cooking one meal for the adults and another for the kids. I often add something I know they’ll like (a bowl of baby carrots, some fresh bread) so that I know that they’ll eat something at the table. Sitting down at the dinner table without the distraction of ipads, tv, or cell phones also allows you all to focus on eating and enjoying your food and chatting which sets a good example to your kids.
Get Kids Involved In the Kitchen
Encourage your kids to help out and get involved in the kitchen. You can create or discover quick and easy-to-follow dishes such as pasta with a ragu sauce, shrimp and vegetables recipes, stir fry or homemade burgers. This demonstrates to your kids that healthy meals can be both quick and delicious. As my kids get older, they like to help more and more in the kitchen and can now make full meals on their own.
