TIPS FOR DIETARY EDUCATION FOR YOUR CHILD
Don’t punish your child if he doesn’t finish his plate
Punishment can cause aversion: your child associates a negative feeling with healthy eating. Something that is precisely not the intention. Also, don’t turn it into a circus by applauding when your toddler takes a bite of his food. Teach your child that eating their food is normal.
Let your child control how much he eats
It is okay if your child eats a little worse for a while. In fact, it is almost to be expected as soon as the word ‘no’ appears in the toddler phase. By forcing food on your child, he learns not to listen to his feeling of fullness. Something that is important and can prevent obesity in the future .
Small portions on a divided plate
A board with boxes can also help. And one by one empty a compartment or alternately eating something from each compartment, how nice is that! Let your child also brag for himself. And is your child still hungry afterwards? Then he can get some more.
Watch the Video How to Create a Healthy Plate
Eat and drink at regular times
Have breakfast, lunch and a warm meal. It is precisely these three fixed eating moments that ensure that your child does not want to eat and drink all day long. Of course, an occasional snack is not a bad thing. But stick to a maximum of four times and preferably not just before eating.
Prohibition is counterproductive, borders do not
If you want to do something and it is absolutely not allowed, you do it anyway. Prohibiting candy and biscuits is often counterproductive. Exercising a certain degree of control is important.
Together at the table!
Eating together at the table is good for your child’s health and development. It is also good for the language development of small children. Yet for busy families it appears to be a challenge to find time to eat together.
No TV, cell phone or iPad
It is already difficult for adults to focus when the television is on or a tablet is on the table, let alone for stimulus-sensitive children. Eat with attention yourself and give your child attention while eating.
Good example is good to follow
Your child looks at your behavior; what and when you eat. If you eat all day long, chances are that your child will find it normal and will soon do so.
Help, watch and learn
Peel an egg, wash vegetables and fruit or spread bread. These are all ways to get your child engaged with food in a good way. If he has made a meal with you, then he probably wants to taste and eat it himself.
Don’t use food as a comfort or reward
If you do teach this, your child may later comfort or reward himself with food. And that in turn can lead to obesity. Prefer to play or dance with your child, read a book, sing a song. And cuddling together always works.
Also, don’t reward your child with other food, such as dessert, when he eats his vegetables. Your child may then start to think that vegetables are actually not tasty. And even if he doesn’t eat all of his vegetables, just have dessert as part of the meal. You can of course compliment or gift your child a ‘ stuff he we will really like ‘ if he has eaten his fruit or vegetables.