3 Simple Healthy Eating Tips For Your Children

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There’s a huge amount of nutritional advice out there for when it comes to your children; sometimes it can get a little confusing to know what’s best. Each parent will have different beliefs and methods, and it’s all about deciding what works best for you as a family. Ultimately, our diets as children will often affect our eating habits as adults, so it’s a good idea to encourage healthy habits early on. 

When your baby is under six months, they’ll only be able to consume a milk-based diet. Breast milk or infant formula are your choices during this time, so you don’t need to worry about choosing other options for nutrition. Once your child is over 6months old, here's where the fun starts! When you start having to introduce real food into their diet, it’s a good idea to choose foods from all five food groups. You’ll likely know that this kind of balanced diet consists of protein-rich foods, fruits, vegetables, carbs, milk, dairy and good fats. Children can often be a bit fussy when it comes to eating, so here come some general tips to help your kids stay healthy. 

Don’t rule out treats

We know that treats like sweets and cakes are bad for the health when consumed too often. The problem is that when you rule out sweets altogether, your kids may crave them more. Sometimes being too strict can make children seek out sweets at every opportunity; whether away from home, or when they are a little older. Staying neutral about sweets and allowing your kids to have them only occasionally can help them to form a healthy relationship with treat-based foods. 

Be a role model 

If you want your kids to form a healthy relationship with food, it's a good plan to become a role model who sets an example. Teach your kids about what’s good for the body and what needs to be consumed in moderation. Once you’ve put this learning in place, you can let your children see you eating healthy, and allow this to inspire them. (Often, little kids especially will want to copy you!)

Offer a variety 

Your children will be developing their preferences which they will take with them into adulthood. If you offer a variety of different foods, you’ll increase the number of foods that they enjoy and open their minds to trying new things. Those who grow up eating the same things repeatedly are more likely to become fussy eaters. Remember that kids taste buds will change and develop as they grow. If you offer them a particular food and they don’t like it- don’t be afraid to offer it to them again in a few years. 

Lastly, if you’ve spent ages cooking something for your children (and they don’t like it) try not to take it personally! It’s normal for children to take a while to expand their preferences and get used to new textures and flavors. Trial and error is the best way forward.