5 tips for teaching children about taste and nutrition

Find out how to encourage little ones to eat well, without creating problems for their palate

The way you eat as a child – both in variety, quality and quantity – is decisive for your behavior at the table in adult life. Research shows that taste is formed during childhood, so it is essential to have a healthy relationship with food during this stage of life.

“The first interactions with food have later consequences, so if children learn from an early age to relate positively to what they eat, they will have a peaceful relationship with the act of eating for their entire lives”, evaluates the doctor in Nutrition, Sophie Deram.

Educating a child’s sense of taste is one of the main ways to prevent childhood and adult obesity. According to data from the Ministry of Health, 12.9% of Brazilian children between 5 and 9 years old live with obesity. The same study points out that overweight children are 75% more likely to become obese adolescents and that, among obese adolescents, there is an 89% chance of becoming obese adults.

“Many parents come to me for advice on how to get their children to eat well, usually because they are facing difficulties such as food refusal or selectivity. My first advice is for parents to try to make peace with food and take the time to dedicate to feeding their children, especially in the phase of introduction to food – which generally begins around 6 months and lasts up to around 12 months – If it is not possible for the parents themselves to promote nutritional education of the child, they need to align themselves with all of the child’s caregivers,” he says.

Expert advice for children’s palates

1) Invest in variety

Offer fresh, homemade foods, with as much variety as possible, and try to make them attractive on the plate. “Children can be encouraged, from an early age, to try everything in a healthy way, always including foods from different food groups on a daily basis: vegetables, fruits, cereals,” she teaches.

The ideal, according to the nutritionist, is to create a weekly menu that includes different types of cereals, proteins, legumes and vegetables. “If today the child ate chicken, carrots, broccoli and brown rice, for example, tomorrow the caregiver will offer him fish, chickpeas and other types of vegetables. It is very important to vary a lot and prepare tasty, colorful and visually attractive dishes, since it is this creates a rich and diversified palate”, says the expert.

2) Stimulate the 5 senses, not just taste

Another important tip, according to the Doctorate in Nutrition, is to let the child freely explore food. “Vegetables and meats should be chopped, in safe cuts to avoid choking, and offered so the child can hold them with their hands, so they can smell, taste and texture,” she suggests she.

Parents are often too worried about dirt and mess in the kitchen, but this exploration phase is very important. “Give this opportunity to your baby, this will be decisive for his good nutrition in the future,” she teaches.

3) Avoid distractions at the table

A common mistake among parents and guardians is to resort to distractions in an attempt to make the child accept food more easily. According to the nutritionist, this is a big trap, because the child begins to associate that distraction (be it TV, tablet, loud music) with meal time, and later it will be difficult to achieve this dissociation in taste.

“Don’t resort to this type of artifice. And don’t despair if your baby doesn’t eat everything that’s offered to him, or even if some days he shows a disinterest in food. This is natural and part of the process, worry about more variety and quality of what is offered compared to the quantity the child eats,” he adds.

4) Create a calm and pleasant environment

Where the child eats and how he feels during the meal is another crucial factor in taste. «The environment and context in which meals are offered must be observed. It is important that the child feels comfortable, so check that the food is offered in a suitable place. And that there is no factor that causes irritation. There are children who do not “Unlike high chairs, for example, in this case it can be more interesting to offer meals at the children’s table”, she teaches.

Another point to pay attention to is how noisy or crowded the environment is. “If there’s a lot of stimulation (TV on, even in the background, lots of people walking by or talking), the baby might get distracted and leave the food aside,” she says.

5) Don’t push too hard and be patient

Putting pressure on the child to eat, getting nervous when faced with refusal or insisting too much are mistakes that only hinder the process. This makes eating stressful and can even create trauma.

«It is necessary to use and abuse patience, have creativity and good humor, use words of encouragement. Maintaining eye contact and talking to the baby also helps a lot. This way it is easier to understand when the child is satisfied and when he is satisfied. he still seems interested in food,” she muses.

Promoting nutrition education and disciplining children’s taste is not an easy task, says Sophie. “It’s a job that requires dedication, but gives a lot of satisfaction. Think that, in the future, you will save your child from many problems related to food and make him a happy adult. Raising a child in peace with food is the best thing” gift that a mother or father can offer,” he concludes.

Source: Terra

Ben

Ben Stock is a lifestyle journalist and author at Gossipify. He writes about topics such as health, wellness, travel, food and home decor. He provides practical advice and inspiration to improve well-being, keeps readers up to date with latest lifestyle news and trends, known for his engaging writing style, in-depth analysis and unique perspectives.