Encouraging healthy eating

CHILDREN can be picky eaters, and television commercials with alluring unhealthy foods can make it even more difficult for parents to encourage their children to indulge in healthy foods. But Dr Anona Griffith, paediatrician at Gateway Plaza, Old Harbour, said that parents can influence the dietary habits of their children by being creative.

“A healthy eating toddler is one that consistently exercises his choice in partaking of the healthy options provided for and offered to him,” she said. “Children at this age are specifically interested in how things look. They like pretty foods and parents can capitalise on this by providing healthy food options. It requires consistent presentation of and availability of healthy food choices from each of the five food groups because we want to ensure that all meals are balanced.”

Below, Dr Griffith shares ways in which parents can encourage healthy eating habits in their toddlers:

LET THEM HELP

“Toddlers should be allowed to participate in meal preparation. For example, they could wash the vegetables, choose the fruits, be allowed to spin the salad spinner, as well as they can choose their favourite dish for a particular meal and it can be included as part of the menu,” Dr Griffith advised. She noted that this allows the toddler to feel valued and generally more interested in partaking in the meal.

GIVE YOUR CHILDREN HEALTHY SNACKS

“Snacks should remain as snacks (a small pick-me-up in between two main meals). Snacks include and should comprise healthy options such as fresh fruits and vegetables, and fewer processed or preserved items. They should not become main meals or substitutes for main meals,” Dr Griffith said. She explained that a child should not be left alone to have an entire packaged item which often contains adult serving sizes and then be expected or forced to have dinner two hours later, because this not only encourages obesity, but unhealthy dietary practices that could follow them into adulthood.

MAKE MEALTIMES FUN

Dr Griffith said an important part of encouraging healthy eating is that mealtimes should be fun. “Parents should take into consideration that a toddler’s appetite may be less compared with his infant self. He also has a short attention span and is more interested in exploring his environment than eating food,” she shared. She noted that apart from making sure the meals are appealing, parents could also consider cute songs or rhymes or catchy phrases that will see them eating their foods without becoming fussy.

GIVE CHILDREN NATURAL JUICES

Dr Griffith said that juices should be limited and offered after meals to ensure that the child eats the meal with the incentive of a drink after having the meal. “You want to make sure that juices are natural – so they should be made from fruits and vegetables with limited added sugars. Certainly, water is a vital option at mealtimes and should be provided at the table,” Dr Griffith advised.

ENCOURAGE THEIR INDEPENDENCE

“Allow the child to show off his independence and ability to feed himself as his developmental milestones are achieved,” Dr Griffith recommended. She encouraged parents to applaud their children’s trial of new foods. “Be his biggest cheerleader when he has “eaten up”, as new foods take some getting used to in terms of adjusting to new flavours and textures,” Dr Griffith explained.

DON’T FORCE CHILDREN TO EAT

Dr Griffith said that children should not be required to clean the plate. “He may return to what he has left behind later. You also don’t want to force them to eat more than they can at any one time. Some children will eat small portions over a period of time as opposed to all at once,” she noted.

PARENTS SHOULD LEAD BY EXAMPLE

Dr Griffith advised parents to be the best role models for their children. She pointed out that it is important for parents to practise healthy eating. “Practise what you preach. Hopefully, parents will prepare and partake in healthy options because, as we know, children learn by example.”

MEALS SHOULD BE EATEN AT FAMILY TIME

“Let mealtimes be family time. It should also be a gadget and technology-free time,” Dr Griffith advised. She reasoned that children who grow up in cultures where food tends to be tied to family time and associated with love and community tend to be healthier eaters and better adjusted at meal times. She also encouraged that meals be had at one particular location, preferably a dining table, as this allows for consistency and the establishment of routines.

CHOOSE APPROPRIATE SEATING

“The toddler may be placed in a high chair at the level of the table. This allows some control during mealtimes. As he gets older, he can be moved to the regular table seating,” Dr Griffith recommended. She also said that parents should ensure safety by avoiding hard foods and small foods such as raisins and peanuts which can be choking hazards.