Let's face it, some kids are naturally picky eaters. As parents we have a choice, help them become creative eaters who try a variety of foods or feed them only what they like leading to unhealthy eating habits and questionable health. 

Today we're talking about how to get kids to eat healthy, and below you get the opportunity to join in the conversation and share your thoughts for a chance to win a Mom's Getaway Spa Day!

Although it may seem like a strange combination, I have always felt that giving my children the opportunity to eat a variety of foods regardless of their refusals helps them in other areas of life as well. Not only am I making sure that they are eating a balanced and healthy diet, but I'm also ensuring that they are not a frustration to others anytime anyone other than myself has to feed them a meal.

So, how do we get around the picky eater and whining?

When you have worked to prepare a yummy and healthy meal, hearing a child say "I don't like that" can be so frustrating. Being part of a big family, there's truly not a lot of opportunity to be picky, there's simply no way to prepare a lot of separate meals just because of one or two childrens' limited tastes.

That's not to say we haven't had our fair share of battles with the picky eater over the years, but we have learned a few things. Feeding children a variety of healthy foods right from the start is paramount for growing a healthy eater. Finding fun ways to present healthy foods and using all the great tools and flavors we have at our disposal to make truly deliciously healthy food is ultimately the very best way to encourage our children to eat.

Heres' a few more tips.

Let them Help

This is probably the best way to get a child to eat something they ordinarily wouldn't even look at. Letting them help make the food will almost always guarantee a child will eat it. Although kids cooking can be a messy adventure and requires a lot of supervision, they are actually quite creative.

Sometimes we let them help plan from the meal planning and shopping to the cooking and serving. Taking ownership of an entire meal is something that makes the kids so proud!

Be Creative

Serving foods that are not on your child's list of things that are ok can be a little less challenging if they are presented in a fun and creative way. Check out the discussions we've been having about Bento lunches, there's plenty of creative and fun ideas by even simply creating food that's shaped in fun ways.

Also, having theme nights such as food from a certain country or foods all of a certain color (even though I usually recommend serving a rainbow of colors...which could also be a theme...in this case it works for the greater good to serve one color), etc.

Approach it Head On

If all else fails you can talk to them straight out about it. Obviously this won't work with the toddler/preschool ages who are quite possibly the most picky group of them all, but for kids that are school age, understanding how important it is to eat a balanced and healthy meal is important and can definitely make them think.

In the end, if the child simply doesn't respond, I always find myself going back to the fact that I'm the parent. I am ultimately responsible for keeping each of our children healthy, and sometimes I simply have to gently but firmly take charge whether the child likes it or not.

Yes, I want my children to be confident in their individuality, feel free to express themselves, and so on. But they also need to learn to be flexible and that's what being part of a family is all about. 

We want to know your tips for getting kids to eat healthier! Please join the conversation by submitting your tip in the box below for a chance to win a $500 Mom’s Getaway Spa Day from BlogFrog!

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