4 Reasons To Stop Tricking Your Kids Into Eating Healthy
By Ruby Bansal
Does your child make the most creatively absurd faces on seeing even the slightest trace of veggies on his/ her plate? Don’t be alarmed, a kid warming up to veggies and greens is a rarer phenomenon than most parents would like. Yet this does not undermine how vital it is for them to consume these in healthy portions, and integrate them into their diet.
Desperate thus to win their kids over, moms across the globe come up with ingenious recipes and presentations to win their kids over. I know one mum who blends all her veggies into a pulp and silently mixes them into an array of recipes and fillings, while another swears by hidden veggie brownies. We must appreciate just how much effort these mums put into facilitating healthier eating for their kids, but is tricking your kid really the best way to do it?
In parenting, as with everything else in life, honesty usually is the best policy. No, being honest with your kid may not translate in him/her eating her veggies willingly, but it will deliver better results in the long term. Tricking your kids into eating healthy, although an ideal solution on the face of it, can backfire in the strangest ways in the long run; here are 4 ways how.
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1. Blurs the Definitions of Healthy
Just because your pizza has a topping of broccoli or spinach on it does not always mean it is the healthiest option on the menu. Sneaking in veggies to make meals healthier for your kids blurs the definition of healthy, and misinterprets the nutritional value and benefits of a meal / snack. Kids need to understand what they are eating and what nutrients are contained in their food; relating to the ingredients of their meal- all the ingredients- is a vital part of this learning, but is made a lot more confusing when you sneak veggies in.
2. Not everyone is Hiding Veggies in their Food
You may go to painstakingly lengths to make everything from smoothies to snacks to dessert healthier and greener. But this is not going to make your kids warm up to their veggies, which means that they may never adopt your recipes. Further, not every environment they step into is going to have equally considerate chefs. This may result in them gorging on meals that are utterly nutritious at home, but an absolute health hazard outside it.
3. Kids Need to Choose Health
Being healthy is a choice above all else; you may be able to force healthy food down your kid’s throat for now, but in the long term he/she needs to choose it for him/herself. Sneaking veggies is not conducive to teaching your kids to choose healthy meals or sides, even if they aren’t the yummiest options available. Sneaking in veggies takes away this responsibility from every day eating, resulting in poorer eating habits and choices.
4. Teach Children about the Wisdom of Moderation
Whether it is a banana you are eating or a cheese burger, the key to health is moderation. Nothing in excess if good for you, but sneaking veggies often gives the completely opposite impression. When veggies remain hidden, there is no need to balance the yummy with the healthy and kids may be encouraged to gorge on hidden veggie brownies or fruit and veg smoothies to get their daily requirements – all in all a ticking time bomb in the making.
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