Sometimes getting children to eat healthy can be a chore. Children are so drawn toward sugary foods. Of course, so am I, but I know better. They also like to eat bland foods that all tend to be yellow or orange like macaroni and cheese, breads, and pasta. Eating too much pasta or bread is not healthy as your body will process it as sugar. But don’t worry too much about fat and carbs in your preschooler’s diet. Preschooler’s are growing and need energy and fat to help keep them healthy. The best thing you can do is cut down on sugar overall.
USDA recommends that children have two servings of milk, six servings of grains, two servings of fruit, three servings of vegetables and two servings of meat or other protein each day. A small amount of fat is necessary as well.
The question now is how to implement a healthy diet. If you child does like to drink milk then provide coconut milk, cheeses, or orange juice with added calcium. Protein is normally not a problem as most preschoolers enjoy homemade chicken nuggets, homemade fish sticks, and lean lunch meat. Try rolling up lean meat, lettuce, a little cream cheese, in a tortilla. My kids love it! To make vegetables more appealing, try dicing them up in smaller bites and adding them to ground beef, spaghetti sauce, or soup. Have your child go with you to the grocery store and let her pick out one new vegetable and new fruit to try that week. Serve fruit or veggies and dip as a snack. Always serve a salad at dinner as that will get your child used to seeing vegetables at a meal and used to having it as an option. Children love to please so the healthier you eat the healthier your child will eat in the long run.