Encouraging healthy eating in children

Eating healthily is something that a lot of us should probably do more often. But when it comes to your children, it is vital to get them into the healthy eating habit early on.

As many parents have probably noticed though, this can often be easier said than done. It can be hard to convince a child of the benefits of healthy eating. It is potentially even harder to get them to finish all their greens.

But if you get them into the habit of eating healthier things at a younger age, they are more likely to stay healthy later in life.

Getting your child to eat healthily can seem like a struggle, but there are things you can do to encourage them.

Cook with your child
Rather than just presenting your child with a plate of healthy food that they might not like the look of, why not encourage them to help you in the kitchen?

If your child helps to prepare the meal with you, they are more likely to take an interest in the final outcome – and want to try it for themselves.

And by getting your child cooking at a young age, you can teach them about the benefits of healthy food in a practical, hands-on manner.

Make food fun
Children can often be reluctant to try new types of food, especially when it comes to fruit and vegetables. So try to introduce new food in a fun way.

This could involve anything from making a face out of the vegetables, to including as many different colours on the plate as possible, to cutting the vegetables into different shapes.

Keep stocked up with fruit
Children love to snack between meals, and often get hungry at fairly odd times of day. So instead of crisps or biscuits, make sure you have plenty fruit for whenever they get peckish.

As well as the usual apple, oranges and bananas, try and keep a wide variety of other fruit available to keep your child interested. The selection could include kiwi fruits, strawberries and grapes.