Healthy eating for kids: 'I'm a mum of three - this is the tip I swear by to get my kids to eat healthy'
A healthy diet supports growth and development 🥦
- Getting your children to eat healthily can be a challenge.
- Healthy eating helps support a child’s growth and development.
- Vitabiotics has spoken with content creator and mum Petra, who shares her methods for healthy eating with a fussy eater.
With the children now back at school, finding healthy and nutritious food to pack in the lunch box can be a challenge for fussy eaters.
Providing your child with a healthy, balanced diet is not only good for their health, but also their education, too, as it can help support their growth and development both physically and cognitively.
Vitabiotics, spoke with content creator and mum Petra, whose youngest son is a fussy eater, to get top tips on how to make mealtime healthy and enjoyable while ensuring kids get the nutrients they need.
Petra said: “I like to plan for their lunch boxes so there’s always variety during the week. If they would like pasta and sauce or soup, I’ll prepare some in advance, and we also enjoy baking together on the weekend, so they can take freshly made treats with their packed lunch.
“For my youngest son, vegetables are a real challenge and have to be completely hidden in food, so I make pasta sauces with veg blended in until smooth – that way he still gets the goodness while enjoying one of his favourite meals.”
Tips to get your child to eat healthy
Petra has shared some of her top tips for making healthy food more appealing and fun. Firstly, it’s all in the appearance, Petra said: “I always cut sandwiches into shapes or use sandwich stamps. I cut fruit into shapes or make fruit kebabs or platters. If I make a fruit platter, I will make a pattern or a shape of something they love.”
To ensure her kids get their five a day, Petra puts fruit inside jelly or ice cubes to be added to drinks and makes sorbets and ice cream from fresh fruit. She also incorporates her children’s favourite foods into her planning.
Petra said: “My children are not a fan of surprise food as they like to know what they’re having. Routine is key with them, and when I'm planning their lunchboxes for the week, I ask them what they would like for each day and then ask them what snacks and fruit they would like. I will, however, put in little surprises each day that I know they will love, like snacks or treats."
When offering advice on fussy eaters, Petra recommends getting creative so your child doesn’t get bored. She said: “Stick to what they love, be creative, and think outside the box. It doesn’t have to make sense to anyone else if your child likes food in certain ways that are not conventional.”
Niloufar Esmaeilpour, a Registered Clinical Counsellor, also recommends that a creative approach can help keep fussy eaters view mealtime differently. Niloufar advises making plates with smiley faces made from vegetables or a star-shaped sandwich, as well as including children in the cooking process from start to finish to give a sense of ownership.
Niloufar encourages parents to offer gentle exposure to healthy foods, instead of pressure, she said: “Place a small portion of a new or less-favourite fruit or vegetable in a lunchbox on a regular basis, even if your child doesn't eat it the first few days.
“Over time, the multiple exposures lower resistance and build familiarity. And don't forget, children are good imitators. If they observe you eating fruits and vegetables routinely at meals and snacks, they'll likely follow suit.”
You can find out more about eating healthily at the Eatwell Guide on NHS.UK.