Children & Nutrition

San Diego Magazine 2009

They are fussy eaters. They are hard to impress. They do not like anything that says “healthy” on the label. They are kids after all.

In my career as a nutritionist, I have come across so many mothers all with a common problem of making their kids eat healthy. It seems to be a ginormous task to get our kids to eat right. Personally, I feel all it takes is a little bit of early planning.

Kids posses an amazing gift of intrigue. Making use of their curious nature, is a great way to get started. Having them around in the kitchen, while you chop and saute, will trigger a lot of questions. This way you could start a conversation about what you are cooking and why. I have noticed, that children love to feel involved. Taking them to the grocery or the local farmer's market will make them aware of the different foods available.

As a parent, you not only have the responsibility of providing adequate nutrition to your children, but also to imbibe in them healthy eating patterns. I have often watched parents, force their kids "to finish your veggies", or to "drink that glass of milk", all in vain. Such a behavior would simply make children develop an aversion to foods. If you want your children to eat, Do Not Force it on them.

Here are few quick tips that might be helpful in making your kids eat healthy

1. Get your kids involved in planning the menus for the family.
2. Take them grocery shopping and ask them to pick fruits and veggies of different colors. Tell them how those items are beneficial.
3. Make them feel responsible. Ask them to choose a healthy “take out or dine out” location.
4. If they do not like a veggie in the first go, do not give up, prepare it in a different way. Try to club it with something they like.
5. Give them a 'treat" once a week.
6. Leaving small encouraging notes in their lunch boxes is often fun way to get the kids to eat.
8. Do not stock colas, chips and candies in the kitchen pantry. They are evils lurking to tempt them.
7. Tell them the importance of water and how drinking enough would help them become prettier and handsome!

Always remember to talk to your kids as adults and tell them how important it is to eat healthy. Once they begin to understand good eating habits, a slice of pizza or a candy once in a while would do no harm. They are kids after all.