The old saying is true – you are what you eat. I’ve was never terribly worried about this until I had Kara. That’s when everything changed. I would have had a different perspective regardless of what child I had first. With Kara having Down syndrome, she is at a higher risk for developing obesity so I wanted to start off on the right foot. I began to learn the best ways on how to encourage your child to eat healthy foods. Below are some of the things I’ve picked up along the way.
Before you dive in, know that it is never good practice to force a child to eat. This can lead to some serious issues in the future. Encouragement to eat, however, is essential. I’ve included some tips that will push your child to eat the food that you’ve prepared for them, at the right time & in the right amounts. Read on to find out more.
Small Amounts
Sometimes the issue may not be what you’re serving, but actually the amount of food that is offered. A larger amount of food can cause a kiddo to feel overwhelmed and not eat anything at all. Start by giving them a smaller amount than you might have initially thought & see if that helps.
Think of it this way, when they are able to clear their plate, it will give them a sense of achievement & make them proud! Make sure they can have more food if they want it too; they might still be hungry, and giving them some choice in this matter will work wonders.
Make it Fun
The picture below is lunch that I served my girls one day. We were experiencing a particularly sassy day so I broke out a muffin pan & opened the pantry! They shared everything from sliced bananas to m&ms. I included trail mix, crackers & prunes. They inhaled every bit & was asking for more.
Here are some other easy ideas:
- Use cookie cutters on their sandwiches (I have these smaller cutters for vegetables)
- Incorporate colors (think sprinkles, fresh fruit, even bright colored utensils & straws)
- Spiralize their veggies
- Use spices & seasonings (A little cinnamon goes a long way. My kids will eat every single carrot if they a little cinnamon on them!)
Get Them Involved
Involving your child in the process of preparing and cooking their food will help them understand & enjoy it more. It will, again, give them a sense of achievement that will forever be associated with food preparation. This will benefit them as they grow!
Not all children like cooking, so if yours doesn’t want to be involved in that way, try something else. Have them help you devise the menu for the week or put the groceries in the cart at the store. Nora LOVES to help me cook , but Kara would much rather help gather the ingredients.
You can include all kinds of exciting foods, such as a Spanish tortilla recipe from The Mediterranean Dish, and perhaps even work to a theme that ties in with their schoolwork or their personal preferences.
Eat Together
Eating together is one of the best things you can do to encourage your child to eat. If everyone in the household eats at different times, your child will never have anyone to model their own eating habits on. When you are all together as a family, they will see you and others eating vegetables, enjoying pasta, trying something new, etc. This will give them the confidence to do the same.
An added benefit of eating together is that you only need to prepare one dish. On top of this, spending time together at the dinner table is an excellent bonding experience!
Through raising my daughter with Down syndrome, I have a gained an unbelievable amount of knowledge on food & the importance of each bite. I’ll leave you with one rule that has shaped how I feed my kids:
YOU as the parent decide when & what they. THEY as the child decide if & how much.
This rule has relieved so. much. pressure. as a parent & it’s given my kids the amount of power they need to feel independent & successful. If they don’t eat a single bite of their dinner one night, that is their choice. I then decide that their snack or meal will be a healthy breakfast. This will inevitably encourage your child to eat healthy foods!
