How To Get Your Child To Eat Everything
There are days when lunch and / or dinner time, instead of being a pleasant family date, becomes the most feared and desperate time of the day. If your children have trouble eating, trying new things and mealtime is a drama, don’t worry, we will help you with tips on how to get your child to eat everything.
Don’t lose your temper, there are other ways to introduce food and make lunch and dinner even fun. But if you get angry and nervous, you are not going to get your child to eat more or better. On the contrary, the child is going to be more determined not to continue eating, not to taste food, or both. In addition, he will fear the moment of eating, since he will associate it with an unpleasant experience.
How to get your child to eat everything
For your child to eat everything, it is important that they associate the time spent eating with a fun and pleasant experience and even look forward to it.
First of all, try to eat as a family. For the little one, his greatest wish is to spend time with his parents and siblings. It is an ideal time to spend as a team, without distracting elements such as the television. It is preferable to comment on how the day has gone, enjoy, laugh, praise the dishes and food that are consumed, etc.
If the little one has a good time eating, he will have more appetite. Do not forget that they like to imitate their elders, therefore, if you want to introduce a new food and before putting it to him, the rest of the members of the family eat it and express how delicious it is. You will probably want to try it and will be predisposed to like it. It is also imperative that you observe that the diet is varied and contains fruits, vegetables, fish, meat, stews, etc.
Remember that the consumption of vegetables is related to a lower risk of developing heart disease, according to a study published in the International Journal of Epidemiology.
Try to prepare palatable food
Another trick is to involve him in the preparation of the dishes. Taking him to the shopping, showing him how beautiful the vegetables and fruits are, how good they smell, then letting him from time to time collaborate in the preparation, adding the final touch or washing the food or pouring it into a container. If he feels that he has helped with the cooking, he will be more eager to taste the result.
Make the dishes fun. If you present him with a lentil dish in which the potatoes and carrot form a face with a smile, it will appeal to him more than the ordinary dish. In addition, it will play, suggesting that he eat his nose, for example. You will interpret it as fun and want to keep eating. There are tons of shapes and ideas that you can adopt when presenting your dishes. You will surely succeed.
Understand that they don’t have to like all foods. It happens to most people and it is totally normal. The important thing is that you consume products from all the groups so that you get all the essential nutrients. It is important to prioritize fresh foods, as ultra-processed foods have been shown to be unhealthy.
Put just the right amount or little amount. He is only a child and he has to eat according to his constitution, weight and height, he cannot eat the same proportion as an adult. In addition, it is highly recommended that you identify the feeling of satiety and do not exceed it to prevent the future from being obese. Another advantage is that if you want more you can ask for it, a way to assert yourself and make your own decisions and not imposed by mom and dad. They will make you feel good and older.
Other details to keep in mind so that your child eats everything
Do not give in to the emotional blackmail of crying when you do not want to eat, nor do you have to give him everything you want to avoid conflict. The child has to understand that he has to eat everything and varied and assume food as a pleasant and daily habit. As you have already seen, there are ways to turn the situation around.
Another factor to take into account is fatigue. Try not to match lunch and dinner times with nap times or when the little one goes to sleep. The more tired you are and the more sleepy you are, the less you want to eat.
Try to make your child eat everything to improve health
Remember that like any habit, it will have to be introduced little by little. In addition, there are many types of flavors that the body has to get used to. With patience, play and love, everything is achieved. Put into practice the advice we have given you and it will be easier.
