12 Tips To Get Your Kid To Eat Better

This post is part of an ongoing partnership with Absopure. All opinions expressed are my own.

It’s what makes all parents go crazy — meal times with children, or as I like to call it — feeding time at the zoo.

Sometimes I cringe thinking of my kid’s eating habits…Scoops of peanut butter, eating 4 clementines for lunch, skipping a meal {gasp!} and yeah, even a pile of chocolate chips with steel-cut oats. The truth is, I am far from perfect, and often cave to my kid’s requests.

My oldest is somewhat picky, my middle daughter is VERY picky and my youngest son eats anything. It’s tough meal planning when I don’t really know what my kids will actually eat. Also, It pains me to waste food.

Meals are absolutely chaotic at our house. With 3 kids under 5, it’s inevitable. I only sit down at dinner, and it’s usually with a kid on my lap. All other meals, I am a slave and eat standing up. To cope, I use every trick in the book to try to make meals go smoothly.

Here are 12 tips to get your kid to eat better that work in our home:

1. Make healthy food FUN.

   Even doing something as easy as allowing my kids to help make meals goes a LONG way. They love tossing a salad, putting on pizza toppings and arranging fruit slices on a plate with a funny face. {Try pairing these children’s books with easy meals}.

2. Don’t want kids eating garbage? Don’t buy it.

   It’s the simple, right? I feel ya…It’s not. But if you do buy treats, hide them well 😉 I steer clear of the chip aisle because the hubby and I love them, and so do our kids. If they aren’t in the house, they won’t cause problems. 
   

3. Offer meals at consistent times.

   In our house, breakfast is sporadic due to wake-up times, but lunch and dinner are always at the same time; noon and 5 p.m. When the kids know what to expect, it makes it easy to tell them they cannot have a snack because we will be eating soon.

4. Always have one food you know your kid will eat on his/her plate.

   I always toss some fruit or a piece of bread on my kid’s plates because I know it will get eaten. Many times I will introduce one new food. Sometimes it goes uneaten, and that’s OK. Usually after we eat a specific meal a few times, my kids are willing to give it a shot.

5. Use bribery.

   I admit; I sometimes stoop low. I try to have a dessert item at dinner to entice them. Sometimes it’s a cookie, but mostly it’s something like yogurt or frozen banana “ice cream” that is actually healthy. If they eat their meal, they get a treat. We also use a spot on our chore chart for trying new foods. With my pickiest eater, I will allow her sit on my lap once I’m finished. Ridiculous with a 3-year-old, but it works like a charm for her and she will almost always try something new if I’m shoveling it in.

6. If they don’t eat, fine. No snacks later.

   We have a rule in our house – if you don’t want to eat, that’s fine, you just don’t get snacks later. However, fruit and veggies are available around the clock. Occasionally the kids leave a full plate at meal time and ask for a snack 20 minutes later. When this happens, I offer them an apple or cucumber slices, and usually they eat it without complaints if they are really hungry.

   

   She wanted cheese crackers, but instead got a nectarine. Did you know slices of them make great funny {and delicious} faces?

7. Eat good stuff. Drink water. Repeat.

   Our kids mimic what we do. I’ve had several people ask how I get my kids to drink enough water. Easy – they see me drink it all.the.time. My kids LOVE Absopure Packables for when we’re out and about. They make them feel like mini adults! {Check out this post for 4 fun ways to get your kids to drink water}

8. Listen to Daniel Tiger.

   Goodness, I love that little tiger. When my kids are being difficult, I usually bust out the teacher’s song from this episode. We gotta try new food ‘cuz it might taste good. That little jingle has saved me a lot of grief!

9. Get away from typical kid foods.

   Chicken nuggets are great once in awhile, but try to stretch the idea a bit by putting the chicken nuggets in a wrap or in a salad. Baby steps to variety! My kids love these tofu wraps. They are packed with protein, but they just love them because they are fun to eat!
   

10. Change your environment.

    Never fails — when I pack a picnic, my kids eat like crazy. Generally we’ll head to a park and I’ll let them play and work up an appetite. I always come home with an empty cooler.

11. Stop stressing.

    While laying a foundation now is key for a healthy adult life, the way your child eats now is NO indicator of how they will eat as an adult. I am a prime example…I was a very picky eater as a kid. Now? Well, I honestly can’t think of anything I don’t like!

12. They’ll eat when they’re hungry.

    My mom recently introduced this concept to me, and you know what? It makes a lot of sense. Some days my kids demolish everything in sight. Other days they graze. But aren’t us adults the same? You shouldn’t have to eat just because it’s mealtime. I think forcing a child to eat when they aren’t hungry just makes everyone miserable. Choose your battles wisely.

Overall, as long as you’re offering a variety of food on a schedule and with healthy options, your kids are going to be OK. Promise 😉

Absopure Packables are the only 6.5 oz water bottles available on the market. Something great to keep in mind for school lunches! Learn more by visiting the Absopure blog or following Absopure on Facebook.

What do you do to get your children to eat better?