Mealtimes with young children are full of challenges – just getting them to sit still long enough to eat should probably qualify as an Olympic event. But parents often tell us that one of the most stressful parts of any meal is worrying they might be feeding their children too much or too little.
We spoke to Nutricentre nutritionist Liana Bonadio to find out how to get the balance right.
"Children are born with processes in the body that regulate their appetite. They know when they are hungry and when they are satiated. It’s only as they grow up that outside influences start to affect this process.
"Positive encouragement is the most important thing when instilling healthy eating habits in children. Having meals together, where children can see that you have a healthy relationship with food, combined with regular meals is very beneficial.
"It’s also important that mealtimes have a relaxed atmosphere. Children are easily influenced and may be keen to please parents, resulting in them eating more or less than they want. They also pick up on their parents’ attitudes to food, so having a healthy relationship to food yourself is important.
"If a child isn’t hungry at a particular meal, try not to worry too much. While there aren’t specific guidelines on portion sizes for children (as all children are different), it’s a good idea to start with a smaller portion and let your child ask for an extra serving if they are still hungry.
"The best thing is to try to get your children to eat a variety of vegetables and fruits. Doing so will give them exposure to the widest range of different vitamins and minerals – and help them to appreciate healthy foods."
If you’d like to encourage your children to engage with their food, why not try some of our recipes? Each one has been designed by The Children’s Food Trust to be easy for children to follow, meaning they’re great fun to make together.
