10 Ways to promote good eating habits in your tot

Many parents are concerned about what their children do or don’t eat and the impact of this on their health. We chat to registered dietician Candice Smith gives advice on how you can encourage good eating habits in your child.

Schedule mealtimes

Children should be offered three meals and two to three snacks each day and choose from whatever food is offered. Mealtimes should be scheduled at the table with other family members.

Make it fun

Serve veggies with a favourite dip or sauce. Cut foods into various shapes with cookie cutters to make it a little more appealing for your little one.

Allow your child to help

Ask your child to help you select healthy foods when you go shopping. At home, encourage your child to help you with the cooking or to set the table.

Respect your child’s appetite

A decrease in appetite can be common in children, depending on their stage of growth and development. Parents naturally react by attempting to get their child back to their previous food intake, but an eating problem may develop if you show too much concern about your child’s appetite or eating habits. Forcing a meal or bribing your child to finish their meal will only ignite a power struggle over food. Emotional scenes can be avoided by putting food in front of your child and removing it after 20 to 30 minutes without commenting on it.

Eat the same meals as a family

Preparing a separate meal for your child may encourage picky eating. Keep serving your child healthy choices until she becomes familiar with it.

Encourage new foods

Your child may need repeated exposure to a new food. Encourage her by talking about the colour, shape, and texture of the food — not whether it tastes good.

Chop, dice, and liquidise

Add chopped green vegetables to spaghetti sauce, top cereal with fruit slices, or mix grated carrots into casseroles and soups. You can also liquidise veggies and add them into dishes without your tot ever knowing they’re eating their greens!