Top 5 Healthy Eating Tips for Pre-Schoolers
Have you ever found yourself staring at your child and wondering why they won't eat anything healthy you put in front of them? Well you're not alone. Many parents up and down the country have and still do today, struggle to get their child to eat healthy food choices.
The first thing to do is not to panic about it. The more you panic and become anxious over this, the more they will pick up on your anxiety and refuse to eat, therefore starting a vicious cycle of food refusal.
The first thing to do is Not Give Up!
There are various strategies that you can try to help you and your child to achieve eating a wider variety of foods. Also remember that some children with Special Educational Needs & Disabilities (SEN) may have aversions or cannot eat certain foods, in this case it is better to stick to the safe foods that you know they like and can eat safely. As they get older, you can always introduce new food groups.
Tip Number 1, is to Lead by Example. As their main carer and child's first educator, you know your child best, you know what new foods would work first. If you show them that these new foods are safe and you are willing to try them alongside your child , they will see that it's ok to try. Don't forget you are your child's biggest influencer, so use your influence to show them that you can overcome this challenge together!
Tip Number 2, is to Allow them to Eat as Much as they Choose. It doesn't matter if they leave food on their plate, by allowing them to decide when their body has had enough, not only do you provide them with the opportunity to learn life long self regulation skills. But you also allow them to understand their own bodies, forcing a child to finish everything on their plate, can lead to them not recognising their own body signals of 'fullness' which in turn could lead to poorer eating habits as they grow older. Additionally, it can also ease your own anxiety around meal times. If you are a person who doesn't like food to be wasted, you could freeze some ready for another time at a later date. As a rule, one portion is the same size as your fist. If you think about it, your children's hands are tiny, so they do not need as much food as you think they might.
Tip Number 3, is to Get Them Involved. If they feel like they are helping you with the preparing and cooking the food, children become naturally curious about food. You can even have some fun, by getting them to try a bit here and there as you go along. As well as helping them to be curious about their food, it is also a great way to talk to them about where food comes from. This can help them develop a positive relationship with food and encourages them into mindful eating.
Tip Number 4 is to Use Positive Rewards. Children thrive on praise and there is nothing better than seeing their happy little faces when they realise that they have done something good. A reward chart can motivate them to try new foods. Choose a goal that you would like them to achieve, this could be trying a new fruit, piece of vegetable, eat a handful of pasta. The key is to start off small and make it almost an instantaeous reward, the next time make it slightly harder for them to gain a sticker, for example if they eat two pieces of food, they then get a sticker. You can then set an end goal for a non food reward, like a trip to the park or a small gift. Remember Keep it Small, Keep it Sweet (not literally), Keep it Simple.
Tip Number 5 is to Keep it the Same, but Different. It can be difficult when trying to encourage children to try new foods, especially when they can be fussy to try new things. As parents we know the importance of nutritional eating, but children do not understand the benefits and are focused on the taste. Which in the long term can limit their diet, leading to health problems later on in life. By being creative with their foods, you can once again expand their natural curiosity. A couple of ideas is if you are struggling to get them to eat vegetables, try blending them into sauces, so they remain hidden but they are still receiving the benefits. Another simple idea is to change the shape of the foods, use cutters to make different shapes out of sandwiches, cut fruit into different shapes as well. All these simple ideas can help your child feel that food can be fun.
We hope you have enjoyed reading our blog, please do look at the links below for some further advice and information.
Good luck and happy eating.
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