When You Need Help With Children Who Are Fussy Eaters!
Of course young children have no idea about what they should be eating to ensure they grow up healthy and strong. And parents often struggle to do the right thing...
In a study by the World Health Organization, one of the statistics that came out was that only twenty two percent of children eat vegetables every day. Figures were a bit better for eating fruit daily - forty two percent of children.
How much fruit and vegetables should your children be eating?
According to guidelines, a seven year old child should have about one thousand five hundred calories a day incorporating at least five types of fruit and vegetables - plus carbohydrates, dairy or alternatives, and protein from meat, fish, eggs, beans or lentils.
We share some tips on how to achieve these goals...
1. Hide vegetables in smoothies
Suggestions include hiding some kale or spinach in a pineapple and/or mango smoothie because the latter two hide the green taste of the vegetables. Another one is to add frozen avocado or cauliflower rice because these are both tasteless in a smoothie with the added advantage of making it even more creamy!
2. Make your own spreads
Instead of using commercial jams and jellies with all the sugar, put chia seeds, frozen berry and some honey on a low heat until it turns jammy and serve on oatmeal or toast for a healthy fats and protein spread.
3. Make a healthier pancake
If you can add berry powders to pancake mixes, you will give them a boost of antioxidants. Another idea is to make pancakes with spinach, eggs, oatmeal, banana and milk mixed in a blender. A healthy additive is a tablespoon of ground flaxseed or almonds.
4. Familiarity
Children will often need repeated exposure to a new food before they will try it, taking as much as fifteen times. Pop it on their plate and be prepared to find it left behind repeatedly. However, familiarity could mean they might be willing to try it after several times of seeing it sitting there!
5. Keep a bowl of fruit close by
This can be where your children sit and do their homework or watch TV so they almost eat fruit without thinking! Another idea is to chop up carrots and peppers and place in a plastic container in the refrigerator so it is always available. If you have some hummus in separate container next to the carrots and peppers, they can dip them into the hummus for extra goodness.
6. How about a hidden-veg tomato ketchup!
This is when you blend a secret vegetable - such as zucchini, peppers or onions - into a favorite sauce.
7. Crispy food goes down well
Children will often happily eat fried food but you can make it healthier by coating in seasoned beaten eggs and healthier breadcrumbs - Sunflower seeds, almonds, and sesame seeds are all great breadcrumb alternatives. Chop larger nuts finely in a food processor. Seeds like sesame are already small enough and can be used as is. Use a variety of nuts as a coating for chicken, fish, or pork; just pulse them finely so they will stick.
SOURCES:
Written by Jane Chitty
Jane writes for Healing Natural Oils, a producer and retailer of high-quality, all-natural treatments for a variety of conditions as well as a range of beauty products. Apart from writing about those various conditions, she also covers general health, environmental and other subjects of interest. She has lived in Kenya as well as Cape Town, South Africa and spent time in San Diego, USA. She now lives in Somerset, England with regular visits from her far-flung children and grandchildren. She is a keen gardener and enjoys growing fresh fruit and vegetables with her husband on their joint allotment. As a result, there is something available to use in the kitchen virtually all year round. Her regular posts can be found on our blog.