Ways To Promote Better Eating Habit For Kids - Part 2

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Set a Good Example

It may  seem that your kids especially teenagers often do the exact opposite of your healthy-eating advice, but in fact, your opinion and actions make a big impact on how they view nutrition. Preschoolers especially love to copy what their

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parents do, and are likely to mimic your meal preferences and willingness to try new foods. Take advantage of this "monkey-see, monkey-do" behavior and make healthy eating choices in front of them.

Eat snacks and meals with your child whenever possible, so they see how much you enjoy eating fruits and vegetables, and make mealtime fun by trying new foods together. If you have older kids, discourage them from making a "yuck" face when eating vegetables or talking negatively about a certain dish around a younger child at the dinner table.

Start With Small Portions

Use smaller plates, bowls and utensils for your child to eat with, and alow them to serve themselves when they are old enough to safely do so. You can begin this practice when they are 3 to 5 years old, and start with allowing them to take a serving of salad or some other non-hot food from small bowl that you hold for them.

This will make them feel "like a grown-up," while helping them learn to measure out how much they want to eat and understand portion size. Encourage them to take one serving at a time and go back for seconds only if they are still hungry.

Help Them Recognize When They've Eaten Enough

Remind your children to stop eating once they begin to feel full. Do not urge them to finish all the food on their plate, and do not praise them for completely clearing their plate.

Instead, tell them that it's best to only eat as much as they want at that time, and that the leftovers can be finished later when they become hungry again. Allow your child to stop eating when they feel that they are full, even if you sometimes feel that they have not eaten enough. Making them eat when they are no longer hungry can lead to unhealthy overeating habits.

To help your young child learn to listen to their body's fullness cues at mealtime, ask them questions such as "Is your tummy telling you that you're full?" or "Is your stomach still making that hungry growling noise?"

Stick to a Strict Meal and Snack Schedule

Keeping to a regular meal and snack time schedule discourages kids from grazing throughout the day, or becoming too hungry in between meals, which can cause them to compensate by overeating later. Most children require three meals and one or two snacks each day, but consult with your child's pediatrician, doctor or nutritionist if you're worried that they're overeating or not eating enough.

And although it's important to stick to an eating schedule, do not pressure your child into eating if they sometimes say that they are not hungry at mealtime. If your child skips a meal, do not let them "make up for it" with candy or cookies, instead, offer a healthy snack, such as apples or baby carrots, and make sure that they eat enough at their next full meal.

Nutritious New Foods: Try, Try Again

Don't be discouraged if your toddler stubbornly turns away from new food, it takes time for children to learn to like a new food's taste and texture. Offer a new food many times, as it can take up to a dozen tries for a child to decide they like a certain food.

to help a picky eater or rebellious teen feel more in control of their food choices -and therefore be more likely to eat the healthy meals you dish out - pose food questions as an option. for example, ask 'Which would you prefer at dinner: cucumbers or tomatoes?" instead of "Do you want tomatoes as a dinner side dish?"