If there is one battle that many parents face, it’s trying to convince their kids to expand their dietary horizons. The problem is that, just like their favorite toy, book, or movie, kids will find something and stand by it for as long as they can. This is often why kids are unwilling to try other types of food, and instead prefer the same old meal every day. However, you know that this is not suitable for a healthy diet, so where are four ideas to help your kids be more adventurous with their diet.
Try Switching Up Your Menu
Often, kids will not enjoy food because they grow tired or bored of it. They may even dislike how you cook certain foods, just like your parents may have given you a hatred for steamed vegetables. If you try switching up your menu, they might discover they adore certain types of food. Rather than boil broccoli, roast it to give it the crispy crunch. You can also look at one of these air fryer fish recipes to introduce them to different ways of enjoying foods. If you’re feeling ambitious, making foods from other cultures is a fantastic way to encourage them to enjoy something they are unfamiliar with.
Don’t Force Them to Clean Their Plate
If you force your kids to eat everything on their plate, they will become more stubborn, and as a result, this could seriously affect their enjoyment of all food, not just the types of the food they don’t like. Instead, allow them to finish whenever they want, as they will soon learn that they will be hungry later on. Once they break through this mental barrier, they will try eating more and more food, which could help them realize the food they thought they didn’t like isn’t so bad after all.
Avoid Hiding Food They Don’t Like
Some parents will take peas and hide them in the mashed potato. While this seems hilarious for the parent, it also develops trust issues for the kids. Rather than trick them into eating certain foods, it would help if you encouraged them to explore the food their way. Otherwise, it will mean they may stop eating the mash altogether if they’re worried they may come across something they don’t like.
Involve Them In Preparing Meals
Kids will sometimes not like the way food looks after it is prepared. However, if you include them in preparing the meals, they will see that it’s something they enjoy. By being part of the process, your kids will understand more about how certain foods transform during cooking, and this will make them more willing to try this food, as they know that it’s nothing to be worried or even scared of.
Expanding Their Horizons
There might still be a battle from time to time, and sometimes, kids just won’t like certain foods. This is fine because as long as they’ve given it a chance, they will at least enjoy some other foods you introduce them to, which for many parents of fussy eaters, is a win you must take.
