Parents face some tough competition when trying to get kids to choose healthy food over high-calorie, sugary food. Kids seem to have a natural affection for unhealthy foods and a built-in resistance to vegetables and some fruits. Kids assume that carrots, beans, broccoli, cauliflower, tomatoes and many other healthy vegetables simply can’t be good. However, there are some healthy foods that kids generally like to eat.
Kids love potatoes
Most kids like potatoes. French fries may need to become baked fries to be a healthy vegetable. However, they are still a fun finger food that kids love. Kids will usually eat mashed potatoes, even if they do play around a bit by making patterns and designs in the potatoes. Adding healthy additions, such as mixing in some cauliflower, butternut squash or sweet potatoes, is a creative way to make mashed potatoes healthier as well.
Kids and Pizza: A Perfect Match
Make your child’s love of pizza work for you when you’re trying to get them to eat healthy. Veggie pizza is a favorite with kids who are willing to eat healthy foods. Providing healthy options and letting them construct their own pizza is a fun way to introduce them to healthy foods such as broccoli, mushrooms, carrots, tomatoes and many other vegetables. When ordering from Ynot Italian or from other pizza restaurants that you may frequent, don’t stress too much. To make it healthier, just order your pizza with less cheese, more vegetable toppings, and, if available, whole grain or thin crust. To make it even healthier, you may want to consider using ham or chicken instead of the traditional red meats.
Fun Fruits
Kids usually like fruit, possibly because it satisfies their sweet tooth. They also like it because it’s a finger food that can be eaten one piece at a time, threaded onto a kabob or dipped into something wonderful such as Greek yogurt. A child’s natural curiosity makes them willing to explore new fruit varieties such as star fruit, kiwi, mango and other oddly shaped or uniquely textured fruit.
Don’t Underestimate Eggs
Kids who eat healthy often enjoy eggs as part of their healthy diet. Rather than eating basic scrambled, boiled or fried eggs, they tend to prefer something such as omelets. When parents present a child with healthy omelet additions such as mushrooms, sweet pepper, tomatoes, broccoli or other items to use as an omelet filling, the humble egg becomes a superstar of a healthy diet. When it comes to picky eaters an breakfast, this meal is a parent’s best friend. You can hide anything in an omelet! Just make sure that it looks aesthetically pleasing to your child.
Kids learn by example so it’s imperative that they see you eating healthy foods. Cooking together and dining together can encourage kids to make healthy food choices. As a parent, you might need to step out of your comfort zone and add some purple potatoes or carrots or green or purple cauliflower to your diet to impress your kids.
