At some point during parenthood, everyone struggles with feeding their children the right foods. Is it green enough? Does it have the right vitamins? Will it help support their immune system?
Picking the right foods alone is a hard job, but what do you do when your kids won’t even touch the green stuff on their plates? Here are five helpful tips from our resident expert, Nutrilite™ senior research scientist Holiday Zanetti, who also happens to be a mom with a Ph.D. in nutrition!
Try new things
Don’t be afraid to try new things and expose your kids to the vast world of nutritious foods. Who knows what your kids might like? Maybe you grew up hating Brussels sprouts and green beans, but there is a chance your little ones might love them!
Holiday says expanding their exposure to diverse kinds of foods will only help them find more stuff they like. A good way to introduce new foods is by putting food they have not tried next to foods that are tried and true. Placing the new offering alongside their favorite meal may make them feel more comfortable.
Lead by example
Monkey see, monkey do. We learn so much from our parents. We learn to talk, walk, read, write and interact from them. No doubt most of us have heard the phrase “oh, you remind me so much of your mother (or father).” It’s because we are often reflections of those who raised us.
Now, you don’t have to drop your fun and easy family meals like pizza Fridays or donuts for breakfast on Sundays, just make sure you balance those out on other days with more vegetables and fruits so that your children can get used to nutritious food.
Play with your food
Holiday urges parents to bring some imagination into eating to avoid making it boring. Our society has outgrown the old “Don’t play with your food” mindset and evolved into an era where using your other senses while you eat is more fun and accepted.
Disguise foods they don’t like
By far the easiest thing you can do as a parent, Holidays says, is sneaking something your child hasn’t tried into something they love. There is a good chance that in the heat of the moment, your kids won’t even know what they are eating.
For example, cauliflower is rich in nutrients and has a taste that can easily be incorporated into your meals. Examples of fun meals with cauliflower are a garlic cauliflower mash (taste like mashed!) or cauliflower “fried rice.”
Cook with your kids
Lastly, introduce your kids to the “fun” of cooking. They might turn out to be a huge help in the kitchen. Letting them mix the salad, pour the oil, or peel the corn are all fun ways to let your kids get hands on with their food.
Incorporating your kids into the process of making their meal will help them connect with their food and make them more obligated to eat it.
Nutritional supplements
If you are worried about your kids not getting the right vitamins and minerals, consider incorporating supplements specifically formulated for children into their daily routine.
Use supplements for kids that make it fun for them to get their daily dose of essential vitamins and minerals, including gummies, fast-melt powders and jelly splats! Kids aren’t always going to be easy to feed, so these fun, tasty and convenient supplements make it easy for parents to fill any gaps in their child’s daily nutrition.
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