
Unfortunately, these meet some short term goals of getting children to eat, but it does not meet the long term goal of helping children develop a healthy relationship with food and developing healthy eating habits.
Here are some techniques for teaching healthy eating:
1. Include your child in the process:
- grow vegetables in your garden
- take your child grocery shopping
- recruit your child to help cook and bake
- encourage your child to help set the table and serve the food
2. Make mealtimes enjoyable
- give your child ample time to transition from play to mealtime
- start the meal with a toast or a prayer
- use the opportunity when you are sitting down to talk about the day or tell stories
- try and sit down as a family as often as possible
3. Serve the meal family-style
- place the bowls on the table, family style and let your child serve herself what she wants and how much
- include something at the table that you know your child will eat
4. Let your child take it from there
- avoid games, cajoling, and convincing your child to eat
- let your child choose what and how much to eat (as long as it is what is being served)
- don't cook special, separate meals
- model healthy eating. Eat what you want your child to eat and only keep things at home that you want your child to eat.
Happy and Healthy Eating!