Have you ever experienced shopping with children in a mall or supermarket and noticed that they feel happy to buy all the colorful chocolates and candies? But they do not show interest in buying fruits. We all know that fruits are good for our health and immune system, but we do not have the habit of eating them. Especially in children, it's hard to develop a fruit-eating habit. According to a survey by the American Heart Association, only 27% of children eat fruits, and 91% of children do not eat enough fruits. According to their daily requirement, they like to eat unhealthy fast food. Fruits are a natural source of vitamins, minerals, iron, and fibers that are important for your children's growth and physical health.
Most parents are uneducated. They don't know we develop food eating habits from day one in our children. Children need to learn about the sugar and salt taste we introduced them to. Parents start giving children unhealthy foods early to show their love and affection for children, like adding sugar to milk bottles, licking candies to infants, and introducing ice cream and other junk foods. It is in your hands to introduce them with healthy foods or with unhealthy foods. It's hard to change habits and develop new ones, but it's not impossible; we can change it gradually. We can be role models for our children. We can use fruits in baking, encourage your children to eat healthy foods, give them rewards, and you should avoid buying junk foods. There are many other ways through which we can encourage them to eat healthy foods and fruits. Let's dive deep and find ways to develop fruit habits in our children, so continue reading if you want to disclose this secret.
Benefits Of Fruits And Children Fruits are a natural source of energy. It helps to build muscle, brain, and children's immune systems to fight germs and keep them healthy and active. It is suitable for your children's growth. Fruits not only have fresh and charming colors, but they also have different benefits. Yellow-colored fruits like mangoes and pineapples suit children's bones and muscles. Red-colored fruits like strawberries and pomegranates are suitable for the heart health of children. Purple and blue colored fruits like Blueberries and plums are good for fighting germs. Green colored fruits like grapes and kiwis are good for energy and power to keep your children energetic. All fruits benefit children, so we can not ignore them. Begin Early And Stay Regular To Develop Fruit Habit Children start developing taste at the age of 5-6 months.
They begin to recognize the food. If you start giving them at this age, they can develop this habit faster. But it would be best if you did it regularly. You should start with one or two soft fruits like mangoes and bananas. These fruits are smooth, and babies can eat and digest quickly. Mash these fruits well until they are soft before you give them. This method also helps you to find which fruit is not suitable for your baby. If it causes an allergy or loose motion, then stop giving it and consult with your doctor. The most important thing is to stay persistent even if they don't like it. Keep going by changing your recipes accordingly. Be A Role Model For Your Children Your children notice your actions and habits the whole day and then unintentionally follow them. They learn from you. So you can help them develop fruit habits by enjoying fruits in front of your children to inspire them that you are eating healthy and tasty food.
1 Fruit Tasting Game You can play a game with your children, take a piece of cloth and cover their eyes, cut the different fruits in small sizes, give them a taste, and ask them the name of that fruit. In this way, you will also enjoy playing games with your children.
2 Creative Fruit Art Children love to play with colors and art. You can make their favorite cartoon character with fruits they will like to eat and enjoy them. Make funny faces and work together with your children to help them choose the colors and shapes that they want. It is fun to take pictures of this art and share them with your children's friends. Here are a few examples of it. Use grapes to make Balloon bouquet ideas on a nice plate. Use some melted chocolate on fruit to shape them like zebra, penguins, lions, etc. Use blackberries and strawberries to draw animal eyes, feet, and noses. Use Fruits In Baking You can use different fruits and dry fruits in baking recipes. Baking with fruits can develop fruit habits in children by enhancing their interest in the recipes they bake.
Psychological Effects Of Habits When we see, read, and listen to the same thing again and again, willingly or unwillingly, it sends a message to our unconscious mind, and we get attracted to that particular thing. That's why all these steps will have psychological effects on your children. Follow any of 4-5 of your favorite steps from above to develop fruit habits in children of any age. You can practice all these steps from time to time as your children like. Ask your children which steps they would like to practice because taking their opinions will also increase their interest. There is no need to follow all these steps at a time because excess of anything also has negative impacts. Conclusion How To Develop Fruit Habits In Children Fruits are excellent and healthy for your children. As a parent, you must become a role model for your children. Children will adopt the same eating habits which do in front of them. Sit together with your children and eat fruit with fun. Play games and arrange fruit parties to develop fruit-eating habits in your children. When you visit a supermarket to buy fruit, take your children. You can use fruits in baking; children will love it. To get new ideas, keep reading books and articles with videos.
