10 Tips For Feeding Your Kid Healthy Meals

10 Tips For Feeding Your Kid Healthy Meals: In the present era, we are becoming more and more conscious of the problems with the meals we feed our kids. According to surveys, children and teenagers are not only not consuming the required amounts of fruit and vegetables and sugar, salt, and saturated fat, but are also exceeding those levels. This suggests that kids may be deprived of essential nutrients that are necessary for their optimal development.

What can parents actually do to make sure their kids acquire healthy eating habits? Here are 10 tips for feeding your child healthy meals and making mealtime more enjoyable.

Eat Together

This might seem like a straightforward task but can have a huge impact on your child’s feeding habits. Kids learn what they see. So if you are eating junk food while sitting in front of the TV, that is what they are going to want to do too.

You as an adult would not really like eating alone. When you eat together with your children, not only does it provide a good bonding moment but also makes eating meals much more enjoyable.

Set up a routine to have meals together. If you are busy, make time at least once to have a meal with your child. Eat home-cooked meals to ensure proper nutrition. Whatever you choose to make, be sure it’s packed with nutrients to help power them through the day. If you’re looking for nutritious lunch ideas, be sure to check out Mom’s Kitchen Handbook. This website contains a tonne of recipes that will give your child the vitamins and minerals they need to flourish.
Prepare a Nutritious Lunch Box

If you are not packing lunch for your kid, chances are they would opt for unhealthy snacks at lunchtime. This can result in not getting the proper nutrition that they need and also consumption of unhealthy foods.

There are a lot of picky toddler lunch ideas to choose from. Put veggies in plain yogurt as well as a portion of the fruit that is simple to eat, and try to change the sandwich stuffing as much as you can. Children can be picky eaters, and they frequently won’t bother eating fruit if it is too messy or challenging to prepare. Give them small, easy-to-hold, easy-to-peel, and easy-to-eat apples, bananas, and grapes whenever possible.
Let them Have Fun with Food

Mainstream food can oftentimes get boring for children. Having the same kind of meal every other day is no fun. So let them have fun with food. Experiment with different recipes, include different sources of nutrition and make the dish as colorful as possible. Children tend to get attracted to anything that is visually pleasing to their eyes. A good trick is to add colors to the plate. For example, greens, orange, and red add more appeal to their plates.

A great idea is to sometimes include your kid in the kitchen. Having them help you while making a dish will make them want to dig in more to indulge in their own creation!
Veggies Once a Day

We can’t stress enough about the importance of vegetables, especially for growing kids. Vegetables are a fantastic source of fiber, vitamins, minerals, and much more. Although this might be one of the least favorite food items amongst kids establishing a rule to have veggies at least once a day is essential for balanced nutrition.

In this way, they only have to endure vegetables just once but will make up for any nutritional gaps. The best thing is there are a lot of options to choose from when it comes to vegetables. So alternate between different kinds to make things less boring.

If your kid still seems adamant about rejecting veggies and throws a tantrum every time, you can hide them into their meals. Add veggies into soups, chop them finely into tasty meals like bolognese or lasagna, or add them into sandwiches or chicken rolls.
Practice Drinking Water and Sugar-free Juice

Water is vital to maintain hydration and keep you healthy. Dehydration can result in constipation, which can lead to problems like poor concentration. So it is absolutely necessary that you encourage your child to drink water and sugar-free juice from fruits by juicing.

You can buy them water bottles of their choice to encourage their hydration habits. You can also ensure they are aware of how much water they are drinking, and how many times their bottles are being refilled during the day. This makes drinking water feel like a game and children would love to complete the challenge.

Sugar-free juices can be delicious and you can opt for them from time to time but make sure that’s not the only thing your child is drinking.
Include Protein in Every Meal

Protein is an essential nutrient for adequate growth. Children are at their optimum growth period so having enough protein is crucial. The good news is, that meat contains protein and this is perhaps what kids love the most. So you don’t have to worry much about getting them to eat protein in every meal.

This will assist in preventing kids from munching all day long and help them stay fuller for longer. Red meat also contains iron, which is beneficial for girls as they prefer to consume less red meat on their own but require more iron once they start their menstrual cycle.
Have them Eat Fish Twice a Week

Fish contains essential oils that are important for proper development in children. These oils are good fats, meaning they are healthy and are required for the overall development of the body. Twice a week, serve oily fish. Try salmon, fresh tuna, and grilled sardines since these are excellent sources of omega oils that can help maintain the heart and mind in good shape. Add seeds to your children’s breakfast cereal for plant-based counterparts of these oils if they find the flavor too overpowering.
Breakfast is a Must

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. But children tend to miss out on this the most. They would perhaps get late for school so they think skipping breakfast is okay. This is not something kids should practice, in fact, parents should make it a house rule to practice habits without fail. Breakfast prepares your body to work throughout the day. It provides a boost of energy to start off your day. So having breakfast every morning is a must.

This will assist to preserve their attention span, provide a continuous amount of energy to carry them through the day and deter them from snacking. Additionally, it will encourage children to form a breakfast habit that they can ideally continue into adulthood.

According to studies, people who regularly have breakfast have a lower risk of being overweight than those who skip it. A strong supply of iron and B vitamins can also be found in fortified breakfast cereals.
Say no to Grazing

Many children eat so many snacks during the day that they don’t need meals. Children can easily eat six times per day, including three meals and two to three snacks. So how can you ensure that they have enough room for a nutritious dinner while keeping them satiated and content all day?

Set daily meal and snack times to help your youngster stay on track. Even though they may still miss a meal now and again, if there is a timetable, your child will know what is expected for the next meal. Offer products like fruit, veggies, yogurt, cereal, peanut butter, or half a sandwich if your youngster requests a snack at a different time.
Don’t Cook Special Meals for Your Child

Kids can and will eat anything, so there truly is no such thing as kid-friendly food. Did you know that by the time they are one year old, children can consume up to 200 different types of healthy foods? The issue is that we don’t provide them with the wide variety of meals they require to develop such a vast repertoire.

Don’t give in to the need to make special meals exclusively for your fussy eater. While you should serve the same foods for the entire family, try to prepare at least one dish that you are aware they will enjoy. If somebody in your household enjoys trying new foods, place them beside the picky eater to create some constructive peer pressure.

FAQs

Why is my Child a Picky Eater?

Many young kids have fussy eating habits. They gain independence by choosing when and what they will consume. As people age, the majority adopt healthy eating practices. Speak with your pediatrician if you believe your child is having physical difficulties eating. Remember, those situations are uncommon, and the pickiness is likely just a phase.

Is my Child Eating Enough?

You could question whether your youngster needs much more food if they appear to survive solely on three chicken nuggets each day. However, they are probably fine if they have enough energy and are developing at a healthy rate. However, it would be wise to consult your child’s pediatrician. You and your pediatrician should investigate if your child’s development isn’t occurring at the expected rate for their age.

What Minerals Should I Give my Child?

Calcium and iron are two minerals that are especially crucial for school-aged teenagers and young children because they help develop strong bones and teeth and combat anemia, poor focus, and lethargy, respectively. Include milk and other dairy products, legumes, lean red meat, and green leafy vegetables regularly in meals to make sure that children’s nutritional needs are met.

Conclusion

Fast food and junk food are perhaps the most favorite food items for children. However, there isn’t a lot of harm associated with it given you are feeding your kid these once in a while.

But if you have a picky eater, making them eat healthily can be a challenge. Offer them varieties, include them in the cooking process, eat together, and ensure proper food items in each meal to ensure that they are eating properly. Hopefully, your job will get easier if you follow these 10 tips for healthy eating practices.