How to encourage your child to eat healthy food… (pst ~ no bribery involved!)

Like many parents, we encourage our little bear to eat ‘properly’ and have a healthy diet.  That is, not to be a fussy, faddy eater. but to eat her fruit and veg (with the odd treat thrown in – everything in moderation and all that.  And we can’t get away with cake ourselves otherwise!).

She’s a good eater but very predictable and always sticks with the same food on her plate.  When we entice her with something new it invariably ends up pushed to the side or on the table so as not to contaminate the other food on the plate!

One tea-time recently, we were tucking in and chatting away at the table.  Our bear said, “I’m super girl with super powers!” and promptly put her arm up in the air like a super hero!  Immediately, something clicked with me.  I gave hubby the ‘knowing’ look that tells him to play along…

“Oh well, super heroes need power food to keep their super powers!”

(Can you see where this is going?!)

“What food on your plate stats with the letter ‘puh’?” I asked.

And it went from there.  The result being that our bear was not only eating her peas and saying they were yummy but actually shovelling them onto her fork!!  Yes, really!  So now she knows that peas, potatoes and pasta are super power foods.

And I’m pleased to report that since she’s started school, our little bear is definitely getting more adventurous with her food.  She’s tucking into school dinners and reporting back that they’re, “yummy!”

She still doesn’t like the idea of this delicious, nutritious snack though… 😉

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