11 ways to help your child eat better

It is a known fact that to get a toddler or a young child polish off everything that's laid on the plate is a task in itself. And it gets worse with each passing day. To inculcate good eating habits in your child and expand her horizon in terms of tastes, texture and food, try laying some healthy eating rules right at the start. In fact the foundation should be laid when you start the weaning process. To make sure your toddler enjoys food, try these tips:

Keep mealtimes fixed: When semi-solids make a place in your baby's diet it's wise to give fruits, snacks and meals during a fixed time of the day and maintain the same taste at least for a fortnight. In this way your baby will start to recognize the taste and texture of the new foods with ease, know what to expect when, and be more comfortable in taking to foods other than breast milk or formula.

Be more experimental with tastes and textures: Everything that you feed would be either mashed or pureed. Try giving one food at a time and change the food item frequently. For instance if the child prefers a steamed apple as a snack, try giving a steamed pear after a week, if dal-khichdi is the staple for mealtimes, try nachni porridge, dalia or an oats preparation for meal once in a while. This will make your little one understand that food isn't always bland and monotonous.

Don't bribe your child to eat: If you think adding dollops of honey in the paratha or giving a chocolate as a bribe is going to help your baby polish off all the food, you are mistaken here. By doing this you are giving in to her tantrums which can make it difficult for you later. Instead do not speak about treats while you try to offer your little one food. If you see she is uninterested in food, try giving it a little later when she would be hungry.

Encourage kids to eat by themselves: It is generally observed that if kids are encouraged to eat by themselves it makes a significant difference in their food habits. Offer a variety of finger foods and allow her to make a mess. Try giving steamed pieces of apples, boiled pasta, and pieces of other fruits ideally after nine months of age. A little choking can happen but don't be scared, remember she is still working on her swallowing reflex.

Give more homemade food: They are healthy, fresh and gives your baby a lot more nutritional value than the package food or junk. Remember your baby's taste buds are still developing, and what you feed now is going to have an impact on the food choices she makes later.

When your child is little older probably you need to try some different approaches to make mealtimes fun. Try the following:

Play more food games: Even the most reluctant eater will probably take in food that she has prepared or participated in the making. Make a pizza made of whole wheat bread together and add more veggies, make salads or meals in which your child can help. Activities like peeling the potato or blending a tomato can help your child get interested in food and eat a few extra morsels.

Work on presentation: Animal shaped breads, star shaped carrots, and rice stuffed in bell peppers -- what more ideas can you come up with? Get creative here. Presenting food in a pleasant way can make it more appealing for your kid to eat all that's on the plate.

Add veggies copiously: But do this in a smart way. If your child refuses to have her greens, think of ways to include it in her diet. Probably finely chopped spinach in the fried rice or potato pieces as pizza topping can help her take the veggies in a better and joyful manner.

Go to a nature farm: Well this might be one of the various tricks that you can give a try. Going to a nature farm and showing your child the ways in which veggies are grown and harvested can make her interested in food more.

Wondering why we aren't talking about non-vegetarian food? Meat and fish usually top the list of favorite food items with children. If they don't, you can still up the protein intake by including dairy products and pulses in your little ones diet.

Offer foods at regular intervals: For a fussy eater who refuses to eat anything that's on the plate try giving food after every two hours. In this way you can be sure that you are still able to give your baby a balanced diet. Offer fruit juices, fruits, nuts, sprouts, yoghurt, vegetable juice and other baked stuff throughout the day. Usually these food items go down well with kids.

Try a new app: Researchers have come up with an app to help parents understand why children are 'fussy' and what they can do to improve mealtimes. The 'Child Feeding Guide' app includes an exposure monitor to enable parents monitor what their children are eating and when. It provides tips and tools to help encourage children to eat a more varied and balanced diet. 'The 'Child Feeding Guide' is a useful tool to help adults manage mealtimes better,' said Emma Haycraft from Loughborough University in Britain. The researchers conducted extensive research into children's eating habits and mealtime behaviour to develop this app. The app is available on both iOS and Android platforms.

With inputs from IANS

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