Healthy eating can provide physical, mental, and emotional benefits for toddlers and preschool kids. In addition to helping them maintain a healthy weight, consuming nutritious foods may give them more energy, improve their cognition, and put them in a better mood. However, it's important to use effective strategies while trying to help your young ones develop better eating habits. Here are some helpful do's and don'ts for encouraging them to become healthy eaters. 

Do:

Allow kids to choose. 

Small children can be notoriously picky eaters and veggies may not be their favorite category. However, kids often feel empowered when they get to choose their own healthy foods, which might make them feel more motivated to eat them. Allowing your young ones to select lean proteins, fruits, and vegetables for their lunches and dinners can increase their likelihood of consuming these items. 

Pair healthy foods with favorites. 

Children who are resistant to eating healthy foods may become more amenable to them when you incorporate them into items they already enjoy. If your young one loves spaghetti and meatballs, for example, you can add grated zucchini or carrots to the sauce and finely chopped broccoli to the meat.

You can also add handfuls of leafy greens such as kale or spinach to homemade juices and smoothies. The flavors of the fruits will overpower the vegetables to make these drinks more palatable, and the leafy greens can provide your young ones with a boost of dietary fiber.

Don't:

Put pressure on them.

If kids feel pressured to eat everything on their plate, they may feel even less inclined to consume healthy foods. When you serve your child healthy meals, allowing them to eat as much or as little as they want can help them try nutritious items at their own pace. This also permits them to honor their own internal fullness cues, which may prevent overeating.

Only give them to your kid. 

Small children often mirror the behaviors of their parents. When you sit down for meals, they'll watch you take bites of vegetables, fruits, and lean proteins, which can show them that these foods are not only safe but delicious. You may also use appealing language to describe the foods as you eat them, such as "sweet" and "yum," to make your young ones feel more interested in trying them.

Support your child's healthy development by enrolling them in Kids & Cribs Child Enrichment Center. They offer infant and toddler care along with preschool programs to kids throughout Fort Thomas, KY. Call (859) 441-5888 to sign up your young ones for child care or preschool, and visit the website to learn more about their enriching curriculum.