Getting children to eat healthy food is sometimes a battle not worth fighting. Sometimes it takes a little trickery. After all, a lot of children are simply put off by the appearance of a food or the texture so by altering it and disguising it they may learn to love it and eventually eat it in its natural form. There are also some great choices on the market to ensure that our children eat healthy without ever realising it.

Here are some tips for sneaking healthier food into their diet…

Buy whole grain white bread. Many companies have come out with the “white” version of whole grain bread so the children will be none the wiser that they are eating better bread.

Make things that kids love in a healthy format. Whether this means making our own popsicle with real fruit juices, or making our own ice creams with real fruit, sometimes the extra effort can save a food battle.

Pick up some of the healthy choices on the market. Many types of yoghurt and even cereals now come packed with pro-biotics and dried fruit slices that a hungry child first thing in the morning will quickly gobble up.

Adding grated veggies to things like pizzas, sandwiches and other foods. Finely grated food often goes unnoticed by children.

Puree a food and add it to a favourite. This can mean adding cooked apple to the regular muffin mix or pureed veggies to sauces and soups.

We can also make little changes on old favourites. Changing the jam to marmalade or even homemade fruit spreads can get some extra fruit into our little ones.

Adding in a little veggie juice with the fruit juice will also help. They rarely will taste the difference, but will be getting the added benefits.

Replace high fat milks with lower fat milks. Most children won't notice the change in the fat content.

Sprinkle powered nuts and other high protein foods onto cereals and into homemade muffins to give some added nutrients without the fight.

Just giving food a difference appearance can help as well. Simply cutting foods into silly shapes or making meals look like something fun to eat may encourage them to try something new.

The most important aspect to getting children to eat right is to keep trying. A child may not try a healthy food the first few times it is served, but if it is served regularly, even a small amount at a time can help. If they see us eating it and are always served it, they will one day open up and take the bite.

Article by Rachel Goodchild

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