A child's body requires healthy foods in order to maximize physical and mental well-being. With rising obesity rates among children, eating healthy is essential in order to enjoy a physically fit childhood. Unfortunately, children don't always enjoy foods that are good for them, so parents and school officials must consider ways to make healthy foods appealing.
Step 1
Introduce healthy foods when your child is a toddler. This will increase the chances that he'll accept these new foods. Keep in mind that a small child might resist a new food until he samples it a number of times. Avoid adding sugar or salt to make the food taste better,however, as this could cancel out some of the health benefits.
Step 2
Don't force your child to eat a new food. Once a baby begins to eat solid foods, offer a couple of bites to introduce the food, but discontinue if your child shows visible resistance. You can try again another day. For an older child, place a small amount of healthy food on her plate and request that she take "just one taste." If she likes it, she'll eat more, otherwise, you can present it again later.
Step 3
Give your child a choice. While you want your child to eat healthy foods, he might be more accepting if you allow him to choose between a number of healthy food products. If presented by itself, steamed carrots might not appeal to your child, but if you allow him to choose between the carrots, broccoli, spinach and celery, he may be more likely to eat the chosen food item. Use the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food Pyramid for Kids for ideas for making nutritious food choices (see Resources below).
Step 4
Serve smaller portions. Overeating is a growing problem, so allow your child to quit eating when she's full. Enforcing the "clean your plate" rule might encourage to children to eat more than they need. Offer smaller portions of healthy foods, and allow your child to take a second helping if she wants more.
Step 5
Limit sweets. An occasional sweet treat is fine for most children, but when they want to forego healthy foods in order to snack on cookies and candy, they may be compromising their health. Ditch dessert and offer a small treat at another time. Children might overeat if they think they must finish their carrots just to get a piece of cake.
Step 6
Eat meals at the table. Eating in front of the television or the computer can lead to overeating or promote a habit of eating junk foods that are convenient but low in nutrition. Make mealtime special by serving the family at the dinner table. Then, when your child is on the computer, he won't be as likely to associate it with eating snacks.
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