How to make food interesting for kids

Yonkers : NY : USA | Aug 17, 2011 at 12:19 AM PDT

By shaheenparshad

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“My child does not eat properly. He is very fussy about eating. My labors at making his meals yummy and nutritious always end up in the trash basket. I am unable to provide proper nutrition to him. What should I do?,” is the common query of every mother, who has a small child at home.

However, a mother must realize that there is more to a meal than just taste and nutrition. As a majority of mothers are working women, chances are that they are not spending much time with their children. Perhaps mealtimes are the only occasions when they are able to sit with their children, but being extremely busy and exhausted they rarely have time to pay attention to their kids. So, they try to make them finish their meals fast instead of in a leisurely manner, which often ticks off a child.

Fun at Mealtimes

Mothers should try and make mealtimes interesting for their children. A mealtime is actually an occasion where a child can learn healthy habits from his parents, siblings and other relatives. Try and make mealtimes fun times for your children and you will be surprised at the results. The food that they used to find dull and boring would actually be scrumptious and tasty for them.

Converse with your child

A mother must try and talk to her children to find out exactly what they would like to have each day in their meals. Besides that, a mother should also try to find out why her children find home cooked meals so disgusting. She can ask them for suggestions for making their meals better. If the conversation takes a positive route, a mother can tell her child why he should eat a particular food and how beneficial it is for him.

Relate food with story characters

If dealing with a pre-schooler, this formula can go a long way in inculcating healthy food habits among children. A woman I know often used to complain that her son detests eating eggs, spinach and cottage cheese, which his doctor had advised for him.

“Initially making him consume this diet was an uphill task. But I figured out a way. I wove an interesting story around an egg, which I used to tell him while trying to feed an egg to him daily. I related spinach with Popeye his favourite cartoon character and told him that cottage cheese tastes best with spinach, which Popeye eats to gain strength. Needless to say, he began to love these foods and is now in better health than before,” she said.

As little girls can be beauty conscious even in their childhood days, it would not hurt to tell them that even their Barbie dolls eat the same healthy foods that their mothers give them. Your child will never eat nutritious food unless you make him do that. Being a mother you should understand the strengths and weaknesses of your child and capitalize on them fully for his own benefit.

shaheenparshad is based in Amritsar, Punjab, India, and is an Anchor for Allvoices.

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