How to encourage your children to eat fruit and vegetables

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How to encourage your children to eat fruit and vegetables

Is it hard for your kids to eat healthy foods? Believe it or not, experts say that the most important part of healthy eating is that it comes naturally, so try to establish a relaxed environment at mealtimes and walk your little ones through the process.
Here are four fabulous ideas:

The family example

At home, make sure that everyone eats a balanced diet – this will facilitate the process, and eventually the youngest will feel excited about trying different types of nutritious foods.

Let them try

Allowing children to explore food – to touch it, eat with their hands, feel the texture, and embrace the smell of it – will help them feel more confident about the wholesome ingredients you put on their plates. Maybe they won’t eat a lot of certain ingredients the first time around, but give them a chance and they’ll grow to love healthy food items. Try not to repeat the same food the next day; wait a couple of days to try it again.

Don’t make them empty their plates

Oftentimes, we think that children should eat everything. This can be a mistake, as they don’t always want to eat the same portions, and sometimes they simply don’t have an appetite. So, we have to set our anxieties aside and wait for the child to want to eat again. When we force our little ones to empty their plates, we make them more susceptible to certain health issues. Even though they are little, they are capable of understanding when they are satisfied or when they want more food, so practice your empathy and try to understand when they give you signals that they are full.

Eat with family

Sitting down together at the table, at the same time and with the same food, is very healthy. Try to make time for this at least once a day, as family meals encourage sharing, excitement, and confidence in trying new ingredients. Try to create a similar structure every day – this practice will be good for your children! Create an excited and unique environment for them at mealtimes!

And what is the best activity to do with your family after dinner? My favorite is story time! So after dinner, I invite you to visit my  YouTube channel and enjoy this beautiful story. Happy stories for happy children!