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Help! I’ve got a fussy eater

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5 February 2019

Babies and Young Children – How to Eat Healthily

At Kids Planet we ensure all children are provided with a varied and nutritious diet. We know that it’s essential that they get the right combination of nutrients and calories to enable them to grow and develop.  That’s why at all our nurseries, our food is made fresh on the premises and fresh fruit is available every day. And, we encourage our staff to eat with the children to promote positive eating practices and habits that we hope will last a lifetime.

However, we understand that it can be a challenge to provide a balanced diet for a young child who is a fussy eater.  So, here are some reminders to help your little one eat healthily:

 Get creative! Combine a range of foods for better taste.

 Try and have regular family meals together.Be a role model – the best way for you to encourage healthy eating is to eat well yourself!

 Be persistent but patient. Babies learn to eat what the family around them is eating.

 Don’t give up. The faces babies pull when they try a new food for the first time doesn’t always mean they don’t like the food or won’t eat it!

 Try using a reward chart – this turns the process of trying new things into a positive experience.

 If there’s food your child is particularly fussy about, it might be because the texture or colour is putting them off. Think about presenting it in a different way e.g. add fruit into a smoothie or a milkshake or try chopping food into different shapes.

 Make food look appealing – create lollipops out of vegetables or use cookie cutters to shape food.

 For older children, involve them in the supermarket shop and the cooking process – let them decide what to eat!

 

If you want to see our nursery menus which incorporates food from other cultures and provide themed days linked to international holidays and celebration or find out more how our Nursery Chefs encourage children to experience a variety of baking and cooking methods, visit our nutrition page or get in touch with your local Kids Planet nursery.

Happy eating! 

Click the link to find your local Kids Planet Day Nursery.

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