Healthy eating is an important skill that can be learned by anyone, including children. Although it’s a priority to get your children eating healthy, it can certainly be challenging and stressful at times because if it was left up to them they would likely eat goodies for every meal.

There are numerous reasons why children may refuse foods, but it’s important not to give up. A healthy and varied diet will make sure your child receives all the nutrients they need to learn, grow, and defend themselves from illness. Keep in mind that every child will respond differently to your encouragement, but there are several tricks you can keep up your sleeve to make mealtime more successful.

A Reward Chart 

This method provides simple and clear way for you to keep track of your children’s food habits. Give them a sticker or gold star each time they complete a meal or try something new. Use a reward chart to see when they hit a specific target such as trying 10 new foods. This makes the process of trying something new a positive experience. 

Same Food But Different 

If your child is fussy about the way that a certain food is prepared it’s okay to make simple accommodations. For instance, if they don’t like mashed potatoes but will eat them boiled, pull a serving of boiled potatoes out before you mash the rest. If they won’t eat many vegetables, try chopping the veggies and serving them in some sauce with spaghetti. Sneaking in extra veggies is always a good idea! You can also serve them something familiar such as frozen chicken nuggets in air fryer alongside something they aren’t keen on trying. Seeing familiar food on their plate can encourage them to eat more of the unfamiliar food too. 

Let Them Decide 

Feeling empowered to be involved in their own food choices is great motivation for kids of all ages. Toddlers can even be included in the supermarket shop. If you grow your foods, young children love to get their hands dirty as they help plant and harvest. Older children can help you shop, cook a meal, or even assist with the meal plan for the week. If they get involved with cooking, it gives them the chance to try new tastes before it’s even on their plate. 

Use Fun Eating Tools

For younger children, using fun plates and shaped utensils can make eating more exciting. If your child likes elephants, for example, think about getting a plate with an elephant on it and a cutlery set to match. For older children, the novelty of moving to grown-up knives and forks can be just as appealing as using the fun dishes as a younger child. 

Be A Role Model 

Whenever possible, sit down with your children to eat your meals at the same time. Besides the many studies that show the importance of this family time for your child’s mental and emotional health, eating real meals together also models for them what a well-rounded diet looks like. It’s one of the best ways to help a fussy eater. Even if they just nibble some of the new foods, at least they get to see you enjoying them and know that the world of food extends beyond cheerios and fruit snacks.

These five tips should help to encourage your kids to eat well. Do you have any other tips that could help? Please share them in the comments section below. 

This is a contributed post. You can read more about that here.