Eating a well-balanced, nutritious diet can help your child avoid health problems such as diabetes and high blood pressure. Although following a nutritious diet might sound simple, it can be tricky to convince finicky or picky eaters to skip the junk food and soda in favor of healthier fare. By making healthy eating a family affair, you can involve your child in the process and teach her to make healthier food choices.
Significance
High-fat, low-nutrient diets can affect your child's health, as well as his overall growth and development. Medline Plus states that children's diets often lack important nutrients, such as iron, vitamin C, vitamin A, vitamin B-6, folic acid and calcium. Serving well-balanced family meals containing foods from each of the food groups---meat, breads and grains, fruits and vegetables and dairy---can ensure your child's diet contains the right mix of these critical nutrients. Family meals can also model healthy eating for your children and help them make healthier food choices.
Considerations
In an effort to encourage picky eaters to eat, many parents inadvertently become short order cooks. They might even prepare low-nutrient foods so that their picky eater will eat something. MayoClinic.com cautions against preparing your children separate meals after they reject the original meal. They stress that this can reinforce your child's picky eating patterns. Instead, keep serving your child the same meal as the rest of the family. You might include one or two foods that you know your child will eat. Do not force him to eat everything, but do encourage him to try a little of everything on his plate.
Prevention/Solution
Stocking your kitchen with healthy snacks and foods instead of sugary, low-nutrient junk foods like chips and soda can encourage children to make healthier choices. The Kids Health from Nemours website advises limiting junk foods instead of banning them outright. Allow children to enjoy an occasional soda or "once-in-a-while" cookie so they do not feel deprived of their favorite foods. Keep washed and cut fruits and vegetables in an easily accessible refrigerator bin. Buy whole-grain cereals and breads to help your children get more fiber.
Potential
Involving your child in the selection and preparation of nutritious foods can improve her diet by helping her to make better food choices when she goes to school or out with friends. Encourage her to read food labels when shopping for foods so that she can monitor the nutritional qualities of different foods. When packing school lunches, work with your child to find healthy, kid-pleasing nutritious choices.
Warning
Constant food battles can divide your family and become a source of conflict at the dinner table. Instead of bargaining, bribing or threatening your children to make them eat their dinner, allow them some input into the process. Create a regular schedule of meals and snacks so that children---and adults---know when the next mealtime will occur. Encourage them to eat until they reach satiety instead of forcing them to clean their plates.
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