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It goes without saying you’d like your little one to have a great relationship with food, and ideally they’ll be eating a balanced and varied diet of fresh fruit, vegetables, meat, fish, grains, seeds and dairy by their first birthday. But the reality is, as your child begins to taste and explore different foods, you may have to put some effort into getting them to appreciate all of them.
There are a few things you can do to nurture their relationship with food. Try involving them with the shopping process – write a list, get them to come along with you to the shop to pick fruit and vegetables, and let them handle and taste them in their raw state.
If you’ve got a garden, create a little veggie patch. Get your children to help you to plant seeds, water them, and harvest herbs and veggies when they’re ready.
You can also get your children to join you in the kitchen. Try some easy and fun baking on rainy days. Let them see what you’re doing in the kitchen, so they understand there is a process involved when turning a raw piece of food into what they see on their plate.
If you’ve got a child who often refuses vegetables and other nutritious foods, keep trying, but you may need to get creative. Here are health coach Lee Holmes’ top 6 tips on how to sneak super healthy foods into your child's diet.