Encouraging Your Child to Eat Properly

You can help your children form good eating habits if you keep nutritious food available in the house.

Once your children form eating habits, it's very difficult to change them. It's most important that the habits they form are good ones.

Set a good example

Generally, children learn their eating habits from their parents. It's important for you, as a parent, to set a good example. If you can eat a candy bar and a soft drink for lunch... why can't they?

You can encourage your child to eat properly by offering a variety of foods from each of the food groups. Occasionally, offer new foods and serve them more attractively than usual.

Encouraging your child to eat properly is a good idea however, making a child "clean his plate" is not always the most healthy habit to promote. This can lead to overeating and this may cause problems later in life. Children will generally stop eating when they're full.

You can help your children form good eating habits if you keep nutritious food available in the house. Children like and need snacks. Be sure the snacks they get are nutritious. Snacks such as raw fruits and vegetables, unsweetened fruit juices, milk, cheese and meats, peanut butter and crackers, and unsalted nuts and seeds are good to keep on hand. Popcorn, with little or no salt and fat, makes a good substitute for chips.

You should help your children realize that sometimes they can eat foods that have little nutrition, such as chips and sweets but they are not to take the place of other more nutritious foods.

Teach the breakfast habit

Encourage your children to start the day with a good nutritious breakfast. Studies show that children who eat breakfast are more alert and learn better during the morning hours than those who don't eat breakfast. Remember that you're not limited to cereal and milk or eggs. Any nutritious foods that your child likes can be served for breakfast: peanut butter on toast, cheese toast, or leftover sandwiches.

Teach children to cook

Children who help prepare their own foods may be more interested in eating them, if your patience will permit, let your child help prepare the dinner salad, or make the meat loaf, or prepare mini-pizzas for an afternoon snack. Again, encourage the preparation of nutritious foods.

For more information on proper nutrition, contact your local county Extension office.