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Why Variety is Important When Preparing Food


Feeding small children can be a real chore and it is even harder when they are fussy eaters. It is very important to make sure small children get adequate nutrition. Fortunately, there are ways of making them eat even if they don’t want to. It is a good idea to have a selection of favorites to fall back on, including hotdogs, pizza, homemade chicken noodle soup, crockpot chicken noodle soup, and lasagna.

Even though it might take longer, it is a good idea to make a few different dishes so your child can choose what he wants. You might like to ask him what he fancies for dinner to get a guaranteed winner. Of course, if he suggests “chocolate brownies and ice cream” you might have to think of something else!

Encourage your child to take a no thank you bite of each of the dishes that you prepare. This way he or she will at least taste the food before disliking it. Nine out of ten times, he or she will like the dish and possibly ask for more.

Another way that you can encourage your child to eat is to give the food names of their favorite cartoon or fictional character. Atomic Betty beans or Patrick pancakes can bring a smile to your child’s face and a full belly. Children identify with their favorite shows, and if they think that they are eating their favorite cartoons food, then they will most likely clean their plates.

Making fun, colorful dishes can encourage your child to eat. Red, green, and yellow bell peppers add color and you can call this Christmas casserole. You can make chicken noodle soup and call it Daffy Duck soup or something, just to make sure it is eaten.

Children are fussy when they are small and they know what they like. If something appears unappetizing, you won’t have much chance encouraging them to eat it. Children depend on you to get them to eat healthy foods.

If you enjoy cooking, you can let your child help you with meal preparation. If they feel like part of the cooking process, they will be happier to eat the results. Children would prefer homemade chicken noodle soup to “the stuff in the white and red can.”

If you know your child does not like something and it is a necessary ingredient, then wait until he or she is out of the room and run it through the food processor until it is finely ground up and then add it to the pot. He or she will never know it is there.

When you are feeding your child, sometimes you will need to use alternative ingredients or different methods. The main thing to remember is that when dealing with kids, you do need a certain amount of flexibility. The chicken noodle soup your child would never eat before can become his favorite if you let him help you prepare it and give it a cartoon name.

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Written by KC Kudra

Filed under: Healthy Eating · Tags: , ,

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