I think it's important to take a no nonsense approach to eating with children, starting at a young age when they start eating solid food.
There is lots of time to play games and have fun, I don't think meal time is one of them.
I have a couple of meal times rules that I use on a daily basis: 1.
) No toys at the table 2.
) You don't have to clean your plate but you have to try everything I also use a couple of tactics to create my healthy eaters: 1.
) Making the food look fun is important.
Using a variety of different colors, and textures really helps.
For example, instead of a helping of cauliflower I will put out a few bites of different colored vegetables.
Such as a spoonful of corn, a couple of baby carrots, a bit of broccoli and a bit of cauliflower.
I also tend to use different cuts on vegetables for variety.
For example, carrots can be cut into squares, slices, rounds or sticks.
I make sure to alternate cuts when possible to add more variety.
I also like to use cookie cutters on sandwiches, lunch meat, cheese, bread, pancakes or anything that is a semi flat surface.
2.
) Using nutrient dense fun finger food.
Dried blueberries, cranberries, raisins, bananas, apricots or other dried fruit are very portable & less messy to add variety.
Fresh fruit is ideal but not always practical.
A great alternative to fruit snacks, which are highly processed.
3.
) Refrain from introducing dips and sauces until later.
I make sure my child will eat the food without dips and sauces the majority of the time, and use the dips and or sauces as a treat now and then.
A great way to avoid adding extra sugar and covering up the taste of the food.
It's not a good idea to get your kids used to eating food covering in dips and sauces because then they won't want to eat the food without it.
Vegetables can taste great without covering it in cheese sauce, potatoes can taste great without being covered in ketchup.
4.
) Use different food combination's to create fun.
I often pair unlikely foods together just for effect.
The kid's really seem to like it.
Sometimes I serve peas on a bed of unsweetened apple sauce.
Not only are the peas and the apple sauce tasty but the apple sauce makes the peas earlier to pickup on a spoon for the toddlers.
5.
) You don't need to clean your plate My kids don't have to clean their plates, but they also can't get away with only eating the stuff they like.
I have a vegetable first rule.
After that they only need to eat a few bites of each thing, sometimes the plates are empty and sometimes they are not.
6.
) Missing a meal doesn't hurt your child There have been times even when I apply the above tactics that my kids won't eat their meals.
But going to bed without dinner, or skipping lunch won't hurt them.
They know that there will be no snacks until the next meal and it gives them a better appreciation for they meals in front of them.
Happy eating!