Our taste buds are a wonderful thing and we can mindfully train them into healthier food choices.
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When a lot of what we eat is junk food, what happens is that we train our taste buds to crave more of the same: more fat, more sugar, more salt etc.
The opposite is also true. When we opt for healthier foods, we learn to embrace nutritional value and the healthier we eat, the more of the same we will start craving.
It is possible to train the taste buds so that they start enjoying foods you used to loathe.
‘Training‘ children to eat healthier
Now imagine how much easier it is to train kids about healthy food choices when their taste buds are only just developing.
Not only can you talk to kids about healthy eating, you can actually trick their taste buds into craving healthier foods.
It all begins in early childhood, as soon as babies are ready to start eating solid foods.
It is thus important that the first foods for a baby be as nutritional as possible and that you introduce your child to foods that will train their taste buds adequately.
Parents usually start with mashed fruits and vegetables, cereal and even tofu in cases where the parents are vegetarians.
Other choices such as eggs, fish and peanuts can be added from as soon as age 6 months old, although most parents prefer to wait a little while longer before introducing their kids to allergenic foods.
When the baby won’t eat what you offer
How parents educate their children about nutrition and eating varies.
For example, there are educational techniques that ask that children be fed the same food each day if they won’t eat it the first time until they start eating it.
A different approach is to offer the food again in a few days time. If your baby still won’t eat what you offer, it’s good to remember that even adults loathe some foods, so it may take awhile for your baby to start liking it.
Modeling good eating habits should start early on in a baby’s life with something as simple as playing silly food games to instill awareness and provide a fun perspective on nutritional food.
Activities and programs that teach about healthy eating
Coloring books are a great choice of activity when you want to introduce children to the basic principles of food like fruits and veggies.
You could even use fruit & veggie activity sheets when the child is of age enough to motivate them to try new varieties each day.
Games are also a fun activity for children and today we have access to all sorts of options online and in stores.
Choose educational games that focus on teaching kids about healthy eating, and games that focus on whole foods, fruits and vegetables.
Find dedicated mobile apps that encourage healthy eating and teach children about nutrition so that they learn the value of food for health, all in fun ways such as puzzles, drawing, adventure games and interactive scenes.
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One of the simplest yet more effective ways to encourage more fruits and veggies is to teach your kids fun facts about food. For example, what’s the only fruit with seeds on the outside?