Whether your child is a picky eater or wants to eat everything, getting your child to eat properly can be a challenge. By setting your child up with options and introducing nutritious food that he likes, you can build the foundation for your child's eating habits for the rest of his life. Foods with only one ingredient are usually more nutritious than processed foods, so keep these foods in the house and teach your child how to prepare them herself from a young age. This way, she will begin making her own good food choices.
Step 1
Keep the refrigerator well-stocked with bite-sized snacks. This way, your child can go into the refrigerator himself to pick out a nutritious snack. Cut up celery, carrots, strawberries, bananas and other fruits and vegetables into small pieces and place them in Tupperware containers or plastic baggies. Additionally, stock the fridge with low-fat string cheese, low-fat yogurt and whole-wheat crackers with low-fat peanut butter all ready to be eaten.
Step 2
Avoid foods that are high in saturated fat. Meats like bacon and ribs; full-fat dairy products like whole milk and cheese; cooking oils like vegetable oil, shortening and lard; and processed foods like baked goods and kids' snacks are high in saturated fat.
Step 3
Incorporate non-animal protein sources into your child's diet. Vegetable-based foods like tofu, soy, tempeh and beans tend to be lower in saturated fat than meat, but are good sources of protein. Hide tofu, soy, tempeh and beans in salads, soups, scrambled eggs and pasta.
Step 4
Substitute simple carbohydrates for complex carbohydrates. Avoid simple carbohydrates like white bread, white rice and baked goods containing white flour. Instead, give your child whole-grain bread, brown rice and bake at home using whole-wheat flour.
Step 5
Allow your child to have sweets occasionally, but never as a reward for getting good grades or doing chores. Instead, surprise your child with ice cream every once in a while. This way, your child won't feel deprived, and will understand that foods like cookies and ice cream are a "sometimes" food.
Tips and Warnings
- Pay attention to the foods your child likes and dislikes, and encourage her to tell you when she likes a particular fruit or vegetable, so you can provide it more often.
- Consult your doctor before placing your child on any restrictive diet.
Things You'll Need
- Celery
- Carrots
- Strawberries
- Bananas
- Low-fat string cheese
- Low-fat yogurt
- Whole-wheat crackers
- Low-fat peanut butter
- Tofu
- Soy
- Tempeh
- Beans
- Whole-grain bread
- Brown rice
- Whole-grain flour
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