How To Get Children To Try New Foods?
The construction of healthy habits must start from the beginning of breastfeeding. These habits will then take hold when the diet begins to vary and solid foods are introduced. So, little by little, you should offer your child new foods. This process will help children to grow up healthy and aware of their diet in the following years.
Follow these recommendations to get your kids to try different and healthy options. It is important that each meal provides the vitamins, minerals and other elements necessary for healthy growth in children.
Recommendations for your child to receive the new foods well
be persistent
When children start trying new foods, don’t give up the first time they reject them. Continue with the process for a few days. In addition, this way you can also check for possible food allergies.
By the age of 1, your baby should be on a diet of fruits, vegetables, grains, and protein sources.
create routines
If your child is already in the process of feeding himself, try to make him part of the family routines. Set a time for each main meal and don’t overfeed between meals.
While it’s tempting to give some cookies or milk before dinner, this will alter your child’s feeding routine and metabolism.
Make sure the child is hungry
The secret for children to consume new foods is knowing they are hungry when they try it. If your child ate something just before the meal, he or she doesn’t want to try new foods.
If it’s been an hour or two since the last morning or afternoon snack, the kids are sure to want to eat again.
pay attention to the presentation
Children will be more attracted to the dishes if you present them in an interesting way, pleasing to the eye too. Visual appeal is one of the strategies you can put into practice to teach children to eat well.
Remember that a positive visual perception is associated with greater satisfaction. If you make a rice teddy bear and decorate it with vegetables, for example, the presentation will make the children more interested.
One of the new flavors that the child already knows
If she already knows what an apple tastes like and you mix it with another fruit, the child is more likely to like the taste. This works especially for older children who may wonder about new flavors.
grow food at home
If you have space for a vegetable garden or garden, encourage your children to participate in growing their own food.
If children follow the entire process of a fruit or vegetable until it reaches the table, the experience will certainly be different. When you are preparing food, it is also good to ask for the children’s help and company.
Avoid offering substitute foods
If you want your child’s diet to have a variety of foods and nutrient sources, avoid plan B. Once children know that if they don’t eat a certain food they will get another one instead, they won’t want to try new things.
Consume and cook different foods
It is unwise to ask children to have a varied diet if you do not have one yourself . Try to be innovative in your recipes. And even if you use the same ingredients over and over, vary in preparation or presentation.
Preventing children from being too fussy about food is also a matter of example. Children adopt for their own lives the habits they learn in the family.
Take the kids shopping
If you can’t grow fruits and vegetables at home, take your kids to help with shopping . It is a good opportunity to teach the little ones to choose healthier foods that will serve to prepare meals. Talk about the general aspects and characteristics of the foods you buy.
The growth and development of your children will depend, a lot, on the variety and nutritional richness of the meals.
Keep in mind that foods not only contribute to the physique, they also play an important role in children’s cognitive development . Make meal times fun and positive for everyone.
