The number of mommies who desperately reach out for advice on how to get their kids to eat better from age one is shocking. You are not alone! So let's face this together...
7 magic tips to make your kids eat better
Small portions
Little kids have little tummies. Trying to serve your little one a balanced meal on a plate will leave you both frustrated. Small portions, high in nutrients is the way to go. Take it further, plan a nutritious balanced meal, but offer only one item at a time throughout the day. A healthy balanced day of eating, rather than a single overwhelming plate.
2. Make it fun
Sing special songs. Have special colourful plates and bowls. A bowl of cleaned and steamed little broccoli trees is fun, easy to self-feed and full of goodness.
3. Teach by example
Make a little extra of what you want him to eat. If he refuses it, shrug your shoulders and dig in. Enjoy yourself making overt happy "yummy" noises, with lots of lip smacking and smiles. Chances are, your little one's fear of missing out will override his resistance. Don't stop "enjoying" the food when he joins in, just slow down a little so he gets more than you do.
4. Family meals
Whenever possible, make meals family time. Including your kids in "grown up" dinner time will go a long way. Don't make a big fuss and focus on what they eat, just eat your meal as if they were another adult. "Do as I do, not as I say," is a great mantra when facing kids of this age.
5. Grazing is good
Sometimes, kids just don't want to eat because they don't want to have to stop what they are doing. Between "meal times", set out a plate of healthy snacks somewhere in his line of sight next to his favourite water bottle or sippy cup. Leave little bowls of washed blueberries, wholegrain crackers, grated cheese, or bite-size banana pancakes around.
6. Camouflage
Honey (after age one), homemade cheese sauce or yoghurt all make great camouflage for healthy wholesome foods. Washed raw broccoli dipped in honey is full of nutrients and a firm favorite with kids - it has sweet, sticky and crunch! Sneak healthful muesli into a yoghurt. Cheese sauce can be added to just about any vegetable to make it appealing to little humans.
7. Let it go
In the wise words of Queen Elsa, let it go. If you fight them, they are encouraged to push their boundaries and put their cute little foot down. General advice is to keep an eye on what your kids eat over a week, as opposed to a day. Some days they will eat everything in sight, others nothing at all. Rest assured that, unless they are showing other symptoms of illness, they will eat when they are hungry and they will stop when they are full.
