CHILDREN, HEALTHY FOOD,
GOOD TIMES, AND ROLE MODEL PARENTS
Refusing to eat is one of the most common challenges we face in raising children. Parents need to understand the developmental stages of their children and their nutritional needs to make informed decisions and provide them with a balanced and quality diet. But how can we encourage the consumption of healthy foods when there are so many harmful temptations around our children? Below are some principles that should guide mothers in dealing with picky eaters.
Quality, Not Quantity:
The nutritional needs of a child are not so much about quantity but quality. As a parent, you are responsible for what you give your child to eat and when, but the child decides how much and whether to eat! Children self-regulate their nutritional intake throughout the day, so if they eat less at one meal, they will likely compensate at the next. Research confirms that forcing children to eat may lead to a loss of their ability to signal when they are full, increasing the risk of obesity in adulthood. Encourage your children to consume a variety of quality foods rich in vitamins and minerals, rather than sweets that only provide empty calories.
Mealtime Discipline:
Establish a daily meal schedule for the child, including three main meals and two snacks between meals. The duration of a main meal should be 30 minutes, and a snack should take 5 minutes. If the child gets hungry between meals and snacks, offer something healthy to nibble on, like slices of fruit or a raw carrot. If the child hasn’t eaten a main meal, don’t compensate with a dessert, but let them tell you they’re hungry. This creates conditions to serve a satisfying and nutritious meal that the child won’t refuse. Provide a variety of foods from all food groups throughout the day to ensure a healthy and balanced diet. For snacks between meals, offer the child something healthy, such as various fruits, natural yogurt, or sufficiently sweetened dried fruits.
Hydration:
Milk is the liquid food of childhood: let the child enjoy it in any form available, starting with breast milk and introducing whole cow’s milk around the age of 2, an excellent source of calcium, protein, and B vitamins. However, children should be encouraged to drink from their cup or a cup with a spout by the age of 1 to avoid bottle caries. As for thirst, water is the only recommended liquid, both for children and adults. Hydration plays a crucial role in the body, so it’s good to teach your child from an early age to drink water whenever thirsty. Another healthy habit is to avoid any kind of juices; besides the toxic substances they contain, sugar or sweeteners will cut the child’s appetite.
Be a Role Model:
At least one family meal a day should bring everyone together. Children copy the habits and preferences of adults. If parents eat healthily and correctly, their children will undoubtedly adopt the same lifestyle. Make this meal an event, a joy of meeting everyone. The warm and relaxed atmosphere will cement the good habits acquired within the family, which will last a lifetime. Show children that you consume what you offer them and do it with pleasure; for example, when you leave home, show them how you pack yogurts or fruits for snacks. Traditional foods that are welcome for both children and parents, such as beef soups, oven-roasted steaks, cabbage rolls with polenta, or schnitzels, should not be missing from family meals. Served as a main course or as a sandwich for a snack, Premium Angus beef is chosen according to the age of the children, whether lean or with different degrees of marbling.
Involve Them in Food Preparation:
Children will be happy to eat food they have participated in preparing. Let children do small things when cooking or setting the table. The child will enjoy eating the food you chose to prepare together or if it is served on the plate they chose themselves. Look for and you will find many small things with which you can involve children in meal preparation. You will create a pleasant atmosphere for everyone, and you will be spared the refusal of food! Another way to get them to accept healthy food is to give them several options to choose from: a yogurt, a banana, or an apple?
Don’t Use Food as a Reward:
Food is a necessity, not a motivational tool for other actions. When you want to reinforce certain behaviors through reward, you can use activities like visiting a friend on the weekend, a show for children, or an extended stay at their favorite playground. Using sweets as a reward involves two evils at once: it encourages them to eat sweets and teaches them to eat when they are not hungry, creating the conditions for future obesity.
Play with Your Children:
Children need the most attention from their parents! Organize activities in which you also participate: run or walk together, whether on foot, by bike, or on rollerblades. A solid relationship will be cemented between you and your children, based on trust, creating the perfect environment for acquiring all the good habits for life!
And one of those good habits is consuming quality meat, naturally raised without hormones and antibiotics. Meat like that from Karpaten Premium Angus provides superior-quality amino acids, crucial for growing children, as well as minerals and vitamins involved in the proper functioning of all organs and processes in the body. Moreover, Angus beef pairs perfectly with a variety of vegetables, rich in fiber and vitamins. This way, your children will have nourishing and delicious meals on their plates that they will ask for again and again. Be ready to offer your children only the best!
