Straight Talk From Your Chiropractor On Getting Kids To Eat Variety

Getting kids to eat healthy can be a real challenge. Whether they are home with all day, eating at daycare or buying a school lunch-getting them to eat a healthy, well-balanced array of foods can seem like breaking into Fort Knox. So, where can a distraught parent begin?

Introduce, re-introduce and repeat. Kids may need to be offered a food 15-20 times before they'll try it and actually like it. Whether it be salmon, fresh green beans or strawberries kids may reject the food over and over again but the key is to continue to offer it. Don't force the issue or the food but do provide the avenue for it to be seen, smelled, touched and eventually tasted. Think variety. It can become a food trap to just serve the items your child favors. Instead, serve favorite foods with lesser preferred foods so there is variety and an opportunity to try something that isn't a top ten. This combination can allow for a food pallet to be broadened.

A family that eats together eats healthier. Studies have shown that families that eat dinner together 5 or more times a week eat more fruits and vegetables and is less likely to develop nutritional deficiencies. And even if your children aren't eating the variety you'd like to see, when they see you eating balanced meals with color, flavor and nutrition, they'll get the silent message that good food can be, well, good.

Schedule time for meals. Try to keep your children on a three meal a day schedule with sit down time for snacks. Setting aside time to sit down and eat will send the message that mealtime is important and help keep your kiddos focused on food when it's in front of them. Keeping distractions to a minimum will also help them stay attuned to those full cues.

As always, work closely with your chiropractor on preventative health measures for yourself and your children. If you are suffering with back pain it could be from an injury or it could be related to constipation from your diet. Your chiropractor can help determine the correct course of treatment for you no matter where your pain is originating from.