For younger children and adolescents receive the nutrition necessary for their development, should make the meals are as tasty as possible and presented in an appealing way, encouraging them with patience, leading by example and trying to eat according to their natural appetite .
How can I get my child to feed as it should? Are there any tricks to induce effective to try new things or to agree to eat that does not like too much?
These issues are a headache for many parents who fail to find strategies or resources to adequately feed their children during childhood and through adolescence. A stage in which many children and young people would feed exclusively on the basis of fries, spaghetti sauce or “fast food” if the election depended on them.
Psychologists and nutritionists provide some tips and ideas, to make the younger generation to eat better:
• Early childhood habits and preferences.
Kids like anything that produces intense feelings but recognizable, and therefore are attached to the first taste, sweet and salty, and textures such as smoothness or firmness of fat meat. Once accustomed to these stimuli is difficult to accept other eating habits.
Since small like the food tasty and something that “hits” your palate, make meals should be as palatable as possible, using natural flavors and healthy products.
You have to use fresh and dried fruits, sugar cane, Greek yoghurt or “bio” and honey to prepare homemade desserts. Limit the goods must be very sweet or savory little by little you can re-educate the palate of a small to learn to accept less salt and sugar in a matter of weeks.
• The presentation, as important as the content.
To some extent, are attracted to small experiment with new foods, because they want to find something that they are familiar, but not like entertainment with a plate.
The solution is to present food attractively, with new flavors, in small doses. In a few weeks the child will begin to accept the new proposals and to develop eating habits based on the variety.
Most fruits and vegetables can be reduced to juice or sauce, you can combine colors and textures of different ingredients. A small snack presentation gives the child the feeling that he must face a grueling portion.
Nor can we cook too much food because not only lose nutrients but also become insipid. The method of preparing food is crucial: there are children who love the tortilla, but hate fried eggs.
• What’s new in the kitchen, nightmares on the table.
If the child does not accept either the new or unusual foods, encourage and be patient, trying to give different types of products from the outset and ensuring that the dishes have an interesting issue. It is advisable to introduce new foods at the beginning of the meal, when a child is hungry.
If they refuse to test them is to stay calm and offer the food again after a few days, whether prepared or otherwise mixed with one of their favorite dishes.
• The importance of leading by example.
The desires of parents as their children’s condition and most of the time the children want the same foods that are pleasant to their family and are put on the table as usual. Forcing a child to eat something that is disgusting, not the way to forming their good habits.
Nor can we use food as a reward or punishment proper nutrition should not be changed depending on the child’s behavior. It is unacceptable to “forgive” the child’s mashed if he behaves himself or give to eat vegetables if you draw bad grades.
• The same foods prepared differently.
Many children hate what they are difficult to chew or swallow, like pieces of meat, vegetables or fibrous fruit or pieces of bread). To eat minced meat be served in a homemade hamburger, meatloaf, lasagna or pasta sauce.
Most vegetables and fruits can be reduced to a purée, and cuts can be harder to remove. In addition, you can achieve small turning it into ingesting fresh fruit juices and homemade sodas, smoothies, ice creams and purees. The crust of bread can be removed or crushed to cover certain dishes