Foods that stimulate children to eat delicious

This is an automatically translated article.

The article was professionally consulted by Dr. Huynh Bao Toan - Pediatrician - Neonatologist - Department of Pediatrics - Neonatology - Vinmec Nha Trang International General Hospital
Ensuring children have a healthy and varied diet is both a priority and a challenge for parents. There are many reasons why children refuse food, but it is important to know what causes anorexia in children as well as how to prepare foods that stimulate children to eat more deliciously.

1. Encourage healthy eating habits in children

In fact, in order to encourage healthy eating habits, parents need to make dishes that stimulate children to eat deliciously, become nutritious and attractive choices by the following ways:
Feed children a lot whole-grain foods in a form that is as close to its natural form as possible with minimal processing, using less packaged and processed foods. Be a role model for children. Because children are so quick to imitate, don't ask them to eat vegetables while you're munching on chips. Conceal the taste of foods your child is anorexic, such as adding vegetables to a beef casserole or mashed carrots with potatoes, adding apple slices to his favorite sweets. Cook multiple meals at home. Restaurant meals and takeout are often high in added sugar and unhealthy fats. Involve your child in grocery shopping and meal preparation together. Parents can teach children about different foods that make them love a variety of foods more. Keep healthy snacks like fruits and vegetables ready, and drinks like water, milk, and pure fruit juices ready to help your child avoid unhealthy snacks like soda, chips, and cookies. This will help stimulate children to eat more deliciously when it comes to main meals.

2. Choose healthy foods for kids starting at breakfast

Children who had a consistent daily breakfast had better memory, more stable mood and energy, and scored better on tests. Accordingly, eating a breakfast rich in quality protein from cereals, yogurt, milk, cheese, eggs, meat or fish will provide enough essential nutrients, and may even help teenagers lose excess fat. .
A good breakfast doesn't take much time. Good morning foods can be as simple as boiling an egg with a low-sugar, high-protein cereal and an apple. Another alternative is to make burgers with scrambled eggs, cheese, chicken or beef.
Besides, children can still eat an egg sandwich, a jar of yogurt and peanut butter, whole grain toast on the way to school.

3. Establish a healthy eating schedule

Spending time with the family with a home-cooked meal is essential to stimulating children's appetite, and just as important as choosing foods.
This is an opportunity to bring the members together, bringing comfort when having daily family meals. Knowing in advance that the whole family will eat together at the same time each day, children will have a sense of anticipation and increase appetite.

4. Limit sugar and refined carbs in your child's diet

Simple or refined carbohydrates are sugars, grains with all the bran, fiber and nutrients removed, such as: white bread, pizza dough, pasta, cakes, white flour, rice white and a variety of breakfast cereals. These foods will cause blood sugar spikes, dangerous, mood swings and energy. Complex carbs, on the other hand, are often high in nutrients and fiber that should be digested slowly for longer lasting energy, including: whole wheat or multi-grain breads, high-fiber cereals, brown rice , beans, nuts, non-starchy fruits and vegetables.
Precisely because the child's body gets all the sugar it needs from the natural sugar found in the food, while the added sugar just means a lot of empty calories, this will not only affect the feeling of cravings but also contribute to hyperactivity, mood disorders, increased risk of obesity, type 2 diabetes and even suicidal behavior in adolescents.

5. Foods that lower your child's mood

A diet high in processed foods, such as fried foods, sweet desserts, sugary snacks, refined flours and cereals, may increase the risk of anxiety and depression in children. Children who drink four or more cups of soda or sugary fruit drinks per day have a higher risk of developing depression, according to the study.
Furthermore, caffeine from soft drinks, energy drinks or coffee drinks can cause anxiety in children and worsen feelings of depression, reducing the child's stimulation to eat well before each meal.

6. Find healthier snack alternatives

Fast food is often high in sugar, unhealthy fats, calories and low in nutrients. However, junk food still appeals to children. So instead of eliminating it completely, try to cut back on fast food and offer alternatives.

7. Choose Fat Smart

Children still need healthy fats in their diet. This ingredient will help the food stimulate children to eat better, while filling their stomach, focusing better and improving their mood.
Healthy fats include monounsaturated fats, from olive oil, avocados and nuts (such as almonds, hazelnuts, pecans, pumpkin seeds) and polyunsaturated fats, including acids Omega-3 fatty acids, found in fatty fish, such as salmon, herring, mackerel, anchovies and sardines, or in flaxseeds and walnuts.
On the contrary, unhealthy fats inhibit children's taste buds, found in some margarines, crackers, candy, cookies, fast food, fried foods, baked goods and other foods ready-made products.

8. Make fruits and vegetables more attractive

Children often do not like to eat vegetables, this will cause deficiency in children. Therefore, to encourage children to eat vegetables, let them be allowed to choose their favorite vegetables. Children can be delighted to see all kinds of fruits and vegetables processed into especially fun, eye-catching shapes.
Along with that, should prepare plenty of fresh fruit and vegetable snacks during outdoor outings. Make sure it's all washed, chopped, and ready to serve as your kid's favorite snack.

9. Other tips to help stimulate children to eat well

Maintain ideal weight for children according to age and developmental stage: Children who are overweight are basically at increased risk of cardiovascular disease, bone and joint problems, sleep apnea, low self-esteem and also low self-esteem. long-term health problems in adulthood. Addressing weight problems in children requires a coordinated plan of physical activity and healthy nutrition. Regularly encourage children to exercise and be physically active: The benefits of exercise, besides helping the body develop, also improve anorexia, increase hunger, stimulate children to eat more deliciously. . Spend more time playing with your child: Playing football, riding a bike, swimming, walking or helping with household chores is a great way for kids to find activities they enjoy and increase social interaction. socialize with other family members. The result of this will help enhance the quality of food that stimulates children to eat well in the family meal. In short, every child can have physiological or pathological anorexia. However, whatever the cause, children need to always ensure a healthy and varied diet, this comes from foods that stimulate children to eat well and at the same time will help them get all the nutrients they need. the nutrition you need to grow, learn, and protect yourself from disease. In the case of children with prolonged anorexia, malabsorption, and growth retardation, parents should supplement children with supportive products containing lysine, essential micro-minerals and vitamins such as zinc, chromium, selenium, and B vitamins. help meet the nutritional needs of children. At the same time, these essential vitamins also support digestion, enhance nutrient absorption, help improve anorexia, and help children eat well. Parents can simultaneously apply dietary supplements and functional foods derived from nature for easy absorption. The most important thing is that improving your baby's symptoms often takes a long time. The combination of many types of functional foods at the same time or continuously changing many types in a short time can cause the baby's digestive system not to adapt and completely not good. Therefore, parents must be really patient with their children and regularly visit the website vimec.com to update useful baby care information.
References: helpguide.org- nuffieldhealth.com