4 strategies for your children to eat well

“Sit up straight,” “you have five more bites,” “it’s not possible that you’re not eating,” “you can’t get up until you finish.” Do these phrases sound familiar? They might, as they are commonly used by mothers to make their children eat all their meals. However, this method creates tension between mothers and children rather than inviting them to eat, causing them to perceive mealtime as something negative or a nightmare, says Aitana Farré, a child psychologist. The specialist, spokesperson for Lactum, details that parents should incorporate play into mealtime to change the negative perception into something pleasant, relaxed, and very fun. “Play is a basic and essential activity in childhood that helps them develop physical skills (fine motor skills), cognitive skills (attention and concentration), and socio-affective skills (bonding with others)” Make them eat well! If you have no idea how to involve play so your children eat well and enjoy this time to the fullest, follow these strategies. 1. Involve them at all times It is important for them to have the opportunity to choose what they want to eat, as well as to participate in the preparation of dishes to make them fun. Serve it by imitating shapes like animals, landscapes, toys, and anything else you can think of. 2. Let them explore Children understand the world through their senses. Feeling textures and discovering the flavors of food will help them relate better to food. “However, they need structure and limits so they know where they can or cannot do things. Play itself has rules.” 3. Be creative A good strategy to get your children to eat is to sing a song or create a story with the shapes, characteristics, and colors of the ingredients. For example, you can imagine a race where broccoli and carrots have to win. Your child decides what to eat first and who will win. 4. Relax If you are tense when feeding your child, they will feel it, so it’s best to relax and enjoy that time with your child. “For a child to eat better and feel better, they need to have a relaxed mom,” adds the specialist. Are they well-nourished? The main concern of mothers is that their children receive the necessary nutrients for their development and growth. “Many times, mothers do not have the notion of how to include nutrients in the diet so that the little ones eat a varied and nutritious diet,” details Ana Gómez, pediatric nutritionist. A guide for mothers to be calm that their children are well-nourished is to include one food from the following groups at each meal (breakfast, lunch, and dinner): Fruits and vegetables Animal protein (meat, chicken, fish, cheese) and plant protein (legumes and pulses) Cereals (pasta, tortillas, rice, and cookies) “The more variety and color there is in each meal, the more nutrients the child will have” However, it is necessary to reinforce nutrition with other elements such as vitamins, DHA (omega-3 fatty acid that helps brain function), iron, calcium, zinc, and proteins. One way to achieve this is through the intake of products like Lactum Kids, which contains 35 essential nutrients from all food groups, without sacrificing taste. This way, the 100% nutrition they need is achieved. See the full article. Related notes 3 tips for children to grow happy and healthy 3 nutritious recipes for children 10 tips for healthy child nutrition