Talking to two colleagues about how to get (young) kids to eat and drink healthy, they reminded me it can be quite challenging to get our kids to eat what you have prepared, especially after a long day’s work. Not to mention the plates of food sent back to the kitchen by our little munchkins…
It was there at the coffee machine where I promised to share my food tips for busy moms.
Eat when hungry and make healthy decisions
Being a mom of a 11 year old (Fit) Girl I find it my responsibility to firstly make sure my daughter has a good relationship with food. Secondly, I respect her taste differs to mine and we are now at that stage that we compromise. Her sweet tooth is sweeter than mine and knowing I can’t deny it to her I have involved her by teaching how to compare added sugars mentioned on the Nutrition Facts labels. No worries, I don’t push – I inform. The rest is up to her.
Food shopping
Every child has it’s own taste which means we as a parent can merely help by guiding them through their food journey. When my daughter was younger, toddler age, she used to love certain stuff, but that soon faded and her taste changed. (Or it was because she learnt how to use more words..)
Let your child choose for itself. Don’t make it more difficult and make sure your groceries are already in the house and ask your child to choose what they want to eat. Give them 2 options. Yes, this will take some of your time, but please invest and make time.