When we look at the eating habits of the children today, we may possibly recall the days of our childhood when we finished everything which was placed in front of us, and so we grew up to be really healthy adults. The point is clear; we were not taught that we were eating healthy food. Instead, our parents made sure that we ate plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables, nuts, extra virgin olive oil, avocados, seeds, legumes, beans, and foodstuffs made of whole grain. However, thanks to a really fast change of pace in lifestyles, modern parents do not bother much about a healthy diet for their children. That is why they are encouraged to eat unhealthy fats, processed foods, lots of fattening dairy products, sugars, and other products, which are made up of chemicals preservatives and additives, because Mom could not be bothered to cook up a healthy meal for her kids. One has to admit it; this is the truth. Or, it is possible that she is going to tell the child, “I am going to be busy this afternoon, order a pizza, will you?” and hand him some dollars. Remember that if you do not take the responsibility for your children’s health by cooking or preparing healthy meals for kids and delegating your responsibility by giving the choice of foods to a seven-year-old child, well, one is sorry to say but you are definitely not a responsible parent. You are going to be ultimately responsible for your child suffering from ill health.

However, some parents have an excuse, “He definitely does not eat fruit and vegetables. How can I cook a healthy meal for him, if he does not like it?” That is because bad eating habits have already been inculcated in him, since he was a little child. If, as a child, he was encouraged to eat a mixture of tasty colorful fresh fruit and vegetables, placed on his pizza instead of meat, processed foods and heavy lashings of fattening cheese, he would take it for granted that these toppings are delicious! You could also try making fresh fruit muffins or fresh fruit dips with honey instead of sugar, to fulfill his natural craving for sweets.

Use your imagination when you are preparing healthy meals for kids. Telling him that broccoli is good for him is definitely not so entertaining as telling him that the “green trees” are going to make him grow as strong as the Green Giant! You could try asking your child to name all the fruit and vegetables in his own personal manner. Then you can encourage him to eat them because they are mmm good, tasty, crunchy, crispy, delicious to eat, (use your own adjectives) are not they? Vegetables lightly fried in olive oil and spread all over whole-grain bread or pizzas are going to be healthier in the long run. “But all my friends eat pizza for dinner, why cannot I?” may be a refrain which parents may hear occasionally. Well, the answer to that is, “all right, we will have pizza for lunch tomorrow, and you are going to make it.” Then prepare the toppings given above, puree some fresh tomatoes, and let your child be happy that he is getting his own way!