Healthy eating has many benefits for children!  It can:

• Help maintain a healthy weight
• Stabilise their energy
• Improve their minds
• Help them manage their moods
• Aid in improving mental health

If children learn the benefits of healthy eating from a young age, it is more likely to continue into their adulthood! 

1. Role model

Research tends to show that children tend to model eating habits of their parents.  So, if you regularly eat lots of healthy nutritious meals your child will too.

2. Offer a choice

Children like to feel in control of what they eat, so if you offer them a choice of different healthy foods they will feel empowered and more likely to eat. At snack time we usually offer a choice of up to three different fruits.

3. Have fun!

The more creative the meal and the more variety to the meals the more your children will enjoy.  Try making them pancakes with fruit as smiley faces.

4. Eat with your children

Sitting down with your children is not only great for bonding it also helps encourage your child to eat more and be more focused at mealtimes.  They will also copy your eating habits, so if they see you eating healthily they are more likely too.

At Plantos Nursery, we find having a member of staff sit and eat the same meal with our children really encourages them to eat more, it is also a perfect time to develop their communication and social skills.

5. Stay positive

I know it can be easy and many parents would say things like you can’t have your yoghurt unless you eat your broccoli, but this leads to negative associations with these foods.  Therefore, try not to do this.  Although, generally this works, most nutritional experts argue against food-bribing.

6. Be stealthy with healthy

Hide the vegetables! You can do this by adding it to their favourite foods or by blending it into drinks or adding to things like yoghurt.

7. Let your children prepare the food

Children like to feel in control.  Letting them pick out their own fruit and veg will help empower them and increase their interest in healthy food. Allowing them to help cut, prepare and cook the vegetables will also increase their interest. 

At Plantos Nursery, we regularly get the children to serve their own snack which could include handing plates and cups out to their friends. They then use a range of utensils to put their chosen fruits on their plates and try to pour their own milk or water. At times, the children are also encouraged to do things like peel their own oranges or help to cut simple soft fruits.

If you really want to get your children involved in their foods, why not grow your own.  It is a great way to teach children where their foods come from and encourages them to eat a varied diet.  They are also more likely to eat them if they have grown and picked them themselves.

10. DON’T GIVE UP!

Research suggests that children and babies need to try something seven to ten times before they like it.  Therefore, keep at it!! It may be hard at the beginning but it will be worth it in the end.