“Milk is disgusting!”, “I don’t like that cheese sandwich!” or “But I want…”, some children grumble in one go and stamp their feet on the floor. Who doesn’t know this? Healthy food is not exactly interesting for children. And what other moms cook always tastes better anyway. However, the treats advertised with cool slogans taste best.
Sometimes it’s not easy to empathize with children. Parents usually mean well, but children think and feel quite differently. “Kids – healthy eating”, how do you make it easy(er)?
Bring variety to the table
Do you like everything yourself? Certainly not. Allow your child to say “no” to some foods. He or she may refuse pure milk and cheese, but reach for cocoa and yogurt. Both also provide calcium, which is important for bones – as do sesame seeds, by the way.
Under no circumstances should you give your child something sweet (such as bars or cookies) in between meals, even if he or she defiantly refused some at the last main meal. The snack satisfies hunger, and at the next meal the fuss starts all over again. If your child is really hungry in between meals, fruit or yogurt is the remedy of choice.
Eating – together and in peace
Sometimes the family is on the go all day. That makes it all the more important for everyone to get together once a day for a meal. Eating together, talking, laughing – this increases the desire to eat and promotes an intact family life. Eating and drinking are a pleasure and should be fun. If your child doesn’t want to: it often helps to playfully let a beloved stuffed animal do exactly what you want your child to do. Young children in particular prefer to copy the behavior of their cuddly animal rather than watch their parents.
Since Maria Montessori it is known that children learn best through concentrated observation without words. Too much talking at the child and constant explanations disturb the concentration. Watching television while eating is also a taboo!
A cozy table atmosphere also invites children to stay longer and take time to eat. This is important because the stomach can only signal whether it is sufficiently full 15 to 20 minutes after the meal has begun.
Learning to eat
“You can’t teach an old dog new tricks”: nutrition education begins in infancy. The longer an infant has been breastfed, the less likely the child is to become overweight later. Breastfed children let go of the breast when they are full. They learn to cry out to get something pleasant: The mother comes and soothes, changes the full diaper or gives the breast or bottle. However, if the baby is now sedated with a bottle every time it cries, it learns to turn off or suppress anything unpleasant with soothing food and drink. This lays the first building block for obesity.
Your child can also help with the shopping. Think together about what foods to buy and what to eat later. With older children, you can study the ingredient list on the groceries. Your child may even feel like helping with cooking or setting the table. Children often want to please their parents, for example, surprise them with a set breakfast table – but you must have taught them beforehand.
The right choice of food
The overabundant food supply does not make food selection easy for many parents. Children are still growing and need a certain minimum amount of energy and nutrients. The Research Institute of Child Nutrition in Dortmund, Germany, recommends that children eat plenty of plant-based foods and beverages, eat only moderately of animal-based foods, and be sparing with foods that are high in fat and sugar.
One hot meal a day, with a predominance of fresh potatoes, brown rice or whole-grain pasta, and vegetables (cooked, raw, or salad), should be the minimum. Combine the meal with a little meat two or three times a week, and fish once a week. Vegetarian meals made from legumes or grains, for example as a stew, casserole or roast, are also welcome.
Two snacks such as bread, a dairy product or fruit round off the daily menu. A plate of fruit cut into bite-sized pieces invites you to reach for it. Occasional pastries, cakes or sweets as a snack are also okay. For children (and adults) are even more tempted by forbidden foods. They snack secretly and completely without moderation. Sweets eaten in moderation, on the other hand, have their place in a balanced diet.
After the first year of life, children can participate well in the family meal. Special products for children or nutrient-enriched foods are unnecessary. Critical minerals and vitamins for children are vitamin D, calcium, folic acid and iodine. They are often missing from food. Season occasionally with salt that contains iodine and folic acid – especially if fresh herbs and spices are not available at the time.
Sentences that help further…
- When a child experiences only negative criticism, he or she learns to judge.
- When a child experiences hostility, he learns to fight ruthlessly.
- When a child experiences ridicule, he learns to be shy.
- When a child lives in fear, he learns to worry.
- When a child experiences tolerance, he learns to be patient.
- When a child is encouraged, he learns to be confident.
- When a child experiences acceptance, he learns to love.
- When a child is affirmed, his self-confidence grows.
- When a child is acknowledged, he learns that it is good to have a goal.
- When a child is treated honestly, he learns what truth is.
- When impartial decisions are made for a child, he learns justice.
- When a child is not made insecure, he learns to trust himself and others.
- When a child experiences kindness, he or she learns that the world is a beautiful place where it is worth living, loving, and being loved.