How to Get Children to Eat Healthy Foods

We all know children need to have a balanced diet to grow strong and healthy little bodies, but we also know that this is much easier said than done.

Children can be extremely picky eaters and are often quite inquisitive beings. If you are familiar with questions like ‘Why do I have to eat it?’ ‘Why is it good?’ ‘Why are you not eating it?’ ‘Why can’t I have chicken nuggets?’, then you are probably also familiar with giving in and letting them go and play even though they didn’t finish their veggies.

The first step here is to understand children are genuinely curious little creatures – they are trying to make sense of the world around them, so if you can help them explore and learn, they will likely be more positive and open to trying new foods.

Some ways you can support their food-related learning include taking them to farmers markets, starting a small garden at home, getting them involved in the preparation of food and talking to them about the different food groups and why they are so important.

When talking about dairy products, for example, explain where things come from and what they are used for. Be creative! Tell them about how eggs come from chickens, that they are rich in protein, which they need to grow strong muscles. Tell them about how raw eggs are slimy, but that they get a whole new consistency when boiled. Tell them you need eggs to bake a cake and to make beef patties – and that the beautiful golden-brown colour in pastries – like their beloved sausage rolls, comes from brushing egg wash over them before they go in the oven.

The food groups and why they’re important:

Dairy

Dairy is so important for growing little bones and teeth, as it is such a rich source of calcium. The interesting thing about dairy products that not everyone knows about, is that they’re also good for the heart, blood pressure, and maintaining a healthy weight. This is because milk, cheese and yoghurt are great sources of protein and healthy fats.

Grains

As much as children love white bread, it’s important to try and get them used to whole grains from an early age.  

The fibre-full options, like oats, brown breads, legumes and rice help with digestion, are a good source of B vitamin, deliver essential minerals, and keep children full for longer, as they are take longer to be digested and absorbed than their refined counterparts.

Fruit

As the easiest ‘healthy food’ group to get picky eaters to try (thank you, natural sugars!), these colourful and flavourful finger foods contain plenty of minerals, vitamins, nutrients and fibres to keep your little one growing healthy.

Fresh fruit is always the best option, but as it can be hard to find in different seasons, frozen fruits are great options to be used in smoothies and ‘nice creams’.

From our experience, you can’t go wrong with berries, bananas, oranges, grapes, watermelons and mangos – they are kid-tested and approved!

Protein-rich Foods

Whether your family eats meats or chooses a vegetarian diet, proteins are essential for children’s healthy development – full of iodine, iron, zinc, vitamin B12 and essential fatty acids, you should definitely include some high protein options in your little one’s diet.

Poultry, fish, red meat, eggs, tofu, nuts and seeds. These are all very versatile options and you can find good protein sources no matter your budget, so get creative and try to include these in every meal.

Vegetables

They are usually the trickiest group to get the little ones to experiment with, but vegetables should also be included in every meal you serve.

Very nutrient dense, these powerful foods help regulate the body and feed the brain, having a great reputation of even improving school performance. You don’t have to force your child to eat eggplants if they cry every time they see it, but try carrots, zucchini noodles, diced mushrooms and cauliflower rice or pizza base to warm them up to the colourful rainbow of options.

At Bush Babies Nurseries, we provide Kids Gourmet meals every day, but we know it can be hard to get children to try new things. We often share healthy and child-friendly recipes to help parents get children to eat well at home too.

If you are after childcare in Helensvale or Eagleby, contact us today to book a centre tour!