Raise a healthy eater

Envious of the parent whose child happily snacks on carrot sticks and hummus? Here’s what you can do to steer your little one in that direction too.

Parents are the ultimate role models for their children when it comes to just about everything, so setting a good example by eating nutritious foods, sitting down at the table, and not skipping meals is a must. “Many a fussy eater is cured when allowed to sit on Dad or Mom’s lap and eat off their plate. A baby will often reach out to grab the food out of Mom’s hand, and little toddlers love to eat big food like Daddy,” says Cape Town based clinical paediatric dietitian Kath Megaw.

CONTROL THE SUPPLY CHAIN

But it is more than just eating a healthy meal; you need to make sure your home reflects these good decisions. “Out of sight, out of mind is a great strategy,” Kath says. She recommends filling your home with a variety of healthy foods and only supplying treats on occasion – simply avoiding conflict. It is much easier to make healthy choices when you don’t have a huge variety of treats and junk food available. Frankly, what child will choose yoghurt when he knows there is a cupboard full of sweets available? Not many whom we know. The same can be said for adults!

If you keep junk foods, you constantly have to say “no” or “only one”, explains dietitian Christa North, who’s based in Sandton. By stocking healthy foods, when your child asks for something, you can say there are no sweets, but she can choose anything from the fridge like yoghurt or nuts. Remember, children will eat what is there – healthy or unhealthy. No child (or person) will starve when there is food available, Christa assures.

GIVE THEM A CHOICE

Your child needs to feel like she has a say in what foods she eats. It shows that you respect her likes and dislikes, Christa says. You can still schedule regular meal- and snacktimes, but give your child some choices when it comes to these. However, this can very easily turn into another kind of battle. One way to avoid giving your child full reign is by offering him two choices that are similar. Rather than ask, “What vegetable shall we have tonight?” ask, “Should we have pumpkin or beetroot?” Or ask, “Would you like a banana or an apple?” Kath suggests.

If you have already stocked your house with healthy foods, then your child’s choice will be limited to healthy foods. “By almost exclusively keeping healthy foods, the choices are then between those healthy foods, and not between healthy versus unhealthy (for example, an apple versus chips),” Christa says.

But this doesn’t mean that your child should only eat healthy foods. He will at some point be exposed to treats and so should be used to them, or he will overindulge when he gets his hands on them. Moderation is the key, Christa says.

Food preferences, and an enjoyment of healthy foods, begin forming even when kids are babies. So when you introduce solids, you need to expose your baby to a wide range of textures and flavours, Kath suggests. Your positive attitude to a variety of foods will also go a long way to encourage healthy eating.

As soon as children are introduced to foods, they can start having likes and dislikes, but these can change, just like adult tastes usually change over time, Christa explains.

If your child is spitting out broccoli, you may need to serve it to her on several different occasions for her to accept it. Don’t give up after just one try.

IGNORE THE KIDDIE MENU

If you eat out regularly (three or more times per week), then eating out must be seen as normal eating, says Christa. Ask yourself what you would have eaten at home, and try to replicate it at the restaurant. Also, your child doesn’t have to order off the kiddie menu. Suggest to them that they order off the adult menu, and ask for a half portion. This way she can feel like she’s eating the same food as Mom or Dad, and it will be healthier.

Also try visiting restaurants where you can eat healthily – it does not help if you go to a restaurant that only serves fries and burgers and milkshakes. If, however, you don’t eat out often and it is a treat, then let your child choose the restaurant, or let her order what she likes.

DEVELOP A STRATEGY FOR TREATS

Sweets and other goodies are a part of life, and sooner or later, your kids will be exposed to them. “If children are being deprived, they’ll just want it more and more,” Christa warns. Moderation, not deprivation, is the best strategy.

For some families it works to have something nice on a Friday or only on weekends; some like to give something small daily. If a child is thriving, achieving milestones and picking up weight as expected, then you might have the balance right. “For my family, it happens when it happens. I don’t have a specific day or set routine for that. I read the situation as it comes – that way it is not really an issue or an expectation,” Christa says.

COOK, AND COOK SOME MORE

While your child will initially pull a face at avocado, she may actually be more willing to try it once she uses it as an ingredient on her own homemade pizza.

Sharing kitchen duty with your child encourages her to learn about food. If you get her involved in the kitchen by washing fruit or stirring the pot, it creates interest and creates an opportunity to discuss why healthy foods are important. Even better, get your kids to help you plant and tend to a veggie patch.

It also helps to get her involved in the shopping – spend time in the veg section and talk about the different healthy options there. While in the other aisles, discuss what is healthy and what is unhealthy. It’s best to steer clear of the terms bad or fattening. ●