Teaching children health habits is possible. As I strive to teach my young children, I have developed a meal-time rule – “try at least one bite“ because you’ll never know if you’ll like it unless you try it. This is a principle I learned from the childhood classic Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss.
I have found that most children are like the typical adult – they are not always in the mood for a particular food. While a mood should not dictate all food choices it should be considered and food should be offered and re-offered to children again and again. Exposing children to all the different fruits and vegetables nature has to offer can lead to great discoveries. Who would have thought my three year old would like cooked green peppers?!
I have found children are sensitive to textures and may prefer a sliced apple over a cooked one. Try offering foods in a variety of ways and don’t assume that they don’t like it just because they have rejected it once. Offer vegetables again and again. They may just like them in a box or with a fox, and on a train. And in a car. And in a tree. They are so good, so good, you see!
Here are some other ideas to get children healthy:
Children’s 26.2 mile challenge
