Nutrition is essential for physical and mental health at every age. Most parents will be able to tell tales of struggles they’ve endured or tantrums they’ve experienced at mealtimes, especially when trying to encourage young kids to try new foods. It can be challenging to find healthy foods that children enjoy, but it’s so beneficial to try to establish a positive relationship with food at an early age. In this guide, we’ll share some top tips to help you encourage your kids to take a healthy interest in food.
Image source: https://www.pexels.com/photo/a-mother-and-child-mixing-a-dough-5471928/
Talk about nutrition and read books together
Children learn continuously and they are incredibly receptive and responsive to new ideas and subjects. Start talking to your kids about the foods they eat and the impact they have on the body and mind as early as possible. Read stories and books about healthy eating, watch educational TV programs and look for resources about diet and nutrition online. Encourage your children to ask questions and to learn about why it’s important to eat well.
Cook at home
Cooking is an incredibly useful skill for children to learn, but it can also be great fun. Cooking together as a family is a brilliant way to spend quality time together, it teaches kids valuable lessons and it’s likely to make them more interested in food.
You can introduce your children to cooking at a very young age by letting them do tasks like stirring the mixture. As they get older, they can help you measure and count ingredients, decorate and present dishes or tasty snacks and prepare food before cooking. Older children can assist with cutting, stirring and serving. Focus on healthy eating and keep things interesting with the odd sweet treat like easy chocolate brownie cookies. If you’ve got family members visiting for the weekend, for example, you can rustle up a healthy, homemade main and enjoy a cookie for dessert. You’ll find all kinds of fantastic, child-friendly recipes online and you can also buy recipe books.
Set a good example
Children learn from their parents and other people they see on a regular basis. If you have a good relationship with food, you’re open to trying different dishes and you have a nutritious diet, this will rub off on your kids. Try to set a good example, as your children will copy your habits. If they never see you eating vegetables, for example, they may not be inclined to eat their greens when you serve them at dinnertime.
Make healthy eating fun
Every meal can be a learning experience when you’re young. As a parent, you’re probably rushed off your feet. It’s not practical to play games or get creative when presenting every meal, but try to have fun with food. Use popular movie and TV show characters to talk about how healthy eating benefits you, try to present food in a way that is appealing to your kids and eat together. The simplest tricks like making a smiley face out of pieces of chopped fruit or vegetables can make children more enthusiastic about eating healthy foods.
Picture via https://www.pexels.com/photo/kid-meal-with-sliced-citrus-fruits-creating-funny-face-on-plate-6489570/
Every parent wants their child to have a healthy diet, but it’s not always easy to persuade kids to get on board. If you’re keen for your child to take a healthy interest in food, cook at home, eat together, talk to your kids about nutrition and read about healthy eating. Try to set a good example and make mealtimes fun.
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This post was written with the Life According to Steph audience in mind
Part of not posting a lot on blogger is me, no longer wanting to sit at a computer after sitting at a computer for 40+ hours working. I loathe doing it from my phone. I always worked a lot and still blogged but there is a difference now, with majority WFH. I feel both more and less in control of my time. It seems to flow through my hands and get away from me these days.
Part of not posting a lot on blogger is the world, specifically America as I live here. God the amount of fucking times I’ve written about social injustices and the world is still unjust. How absolutely rude that a small voice cannot make all the change people have been fighting for and dying for for years, amIright? I used to have more action items on that front and I just fucking don’t right now and that’s a little bottoming out feeling to sit with.
The anti-Trans and anti-drag (assuming you all know not all trans people are drag queens and not all drag queens are trans) rhetoric and legislation is particularly frightening right now. Do you know people would rather have people suffer and die than be who they are? And do you know a lot of people voted for those people? It costs all of us exactly $0 to live our lives and let people live theirs.
But I’m still the person who likes to jot things down and document what I’m doing, if only to look back for my own personal reference. I’m still an observer, which I’ve been since I can remember cognizant thought, and I like to share observations in writing. And I’m still the person who believes we can make a difference in the world in how we are. Be a good human, think about things, let people live, don’t be personally racist or blind to systemic racism, don’t be personally misogynistic or blind to systemic misogyny, don't operate under the notion that your god and religion are the rule of the land or matter to anyone else, don't allow politicians to legislate on religion because you’d hate it if it wasn’t yours, stop believing in the criminalization of poverty, stop letting corporations dictate how we all live and how those we elect govern; take a fucking hard look at mass incarceration and how we got there. Etc etc you know the drill.
Whew, when I think of how I used to argue from a place of understanding and compromise on abortion. Proof we can look back on things we’d rather not be, also. Now I’m viciously abortion on demand without apology not your fucking business not being the one who might persuasively bring you around.
Birthday month in the house! I have been doing my annual HomeGoods trolling, I've got birthday massage and lunch scheduled, pedicure and hair the day before, something the day after, will see both of my parents on my birthday which never happens as an adult LOL. I turn 46 in less than a week. Wednesday night I was digging through old photos looking for pics of Mom Mom as her birthday was March 8 and that only added to my annual birthday reflections. I have big love for middle age and I want to make sure I say that out loud because the world would like women specifically to age in reverse or fade into obscurity once the societal notions of beauty in face and body start to sag and age, as if appearance is all we are. Middle age is cool, man. I'm digging it so much.
Getting out of here on old dogs and dogs eating bugles. Happy Friday!
Cooking with your children is not only a fun activity but also a great way to teach them valuable life skills while strengthening the bond between parent and child. Here are some of the reasons why cooking with your children is a good thing for both parents and children.
Teaches valuable skills
Cooking is an essential life skill that every child should learn. When children cook with their parents, they learn valuable skills such as measuring, chopping, stirring, and following recipes. These skills will not only help them in the kitchen but also in other areas of their lives.
It doesn't have to be complicated or time-consuming. Even simple tasks such as measuring ingredients or stirring a pot can be a great opportunity for them to learn and have fun. You can also involve them in meal planning and grocery shopping, which can be a fun and educational experience for them.
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Encourages healthy eating
When children cook their own meals, they are more likely to eat healthy foods. They can choose the ingredients they like and learn about the nutritional value of different foods. Cooking with your children also allows you to introduce new foods and flavors to them in a fun and interactive way.
Strengthens the parent-child bond
Cooking together is a great way to spend quality time with your children. It allows you to connect with them, share stories, and create memories. It also helps build trust, communication, and cooperation between parent and child.
Boosts confidence and independence
When children cook with their parents, they gain a sense of accomplishment and confidence. They learn that they are capable of creating something delicious and valuable. This can boost their self-esteem and encourage them to be more independent in the kitchen and in other areas of their lives.
Encourages creativity
Cooking with your children allows them to express their creativity and imagination. While you may start them off with a vanilla sponge cake recipe at baking-sense.com, they will eventually want to put their own twist on dishes. They can experiment with different flavors and ingredients, and create their own unique dishes. This helps them develop their creativity and problem-solving skills.
Teaches culture
Cooking with your children can also be a great opportunity to teach them about culture and tradition. You can introduce them to recipes that have been passed down through generations in your family or from other cultures. This allows them to learn about their own heritage and appreciate other cultures as well.
Finally, cooking with your children can also be a great way to create traditions and special moments. Whether it's baking cookies for holidays or making pancakes on Saturday mornings, these traditions can become cherished memories that your children will carry with them for a lifetime. So, next time you're in the kitchen, invite your children to join you and create some delicious memories together. It is a great opportunity to instill in them a love for food, cooking, and learning that will benefit them in many ways throughout their lives.
