If your child is given the choice between a sweet and an apple, which do they choose? Here's our guide to coping with children's eating difficulties, especially how to foster healthy eating.

The problem

Processed sugar simply tastes better to children, so adults need to develop ways of getting around the taste barrier, and promoting healthy food. A child will not know what’s healthy and what’s not. They will simply pick the food that tastes best to them. As a parent, it is your job to control this blind urge: you need to teach them what is good for them. Your greatest tool here is will-power, but there is more to it than persistence.

The solution

Try the following techniques, and see if they work for you.

Start from the beginning

One of the hardest tasks to get a child to do is break routine. If they’ve started their life with five years of eating what they wanted, their reaction to a slice of wholemeal toast or a serving of greens is likely to make you want to give up trying to change their diet. Start them eating healthy young and you will set them up for a healthier life.

Avoid bad habits

Whatever you do, if your child won’t eat something healthy, don’t then give them something sweet. This cycle can start from as early as babyhood. The conclusion they will draw is that if they refuse something, they will be rewarded.

Your dentist is your greatest weapon

When your child goes to the dentist, get them to explain to your child (even using pictures which prove to be most effective) what will happen to their teeth if they eat or drink too many sugary things. If their teeth are in good nick, lots of praise will make them proud of that fact and they will begin to take pride in keeping them that way.

Next time your child demands something sugary, reiterate what the dentist said to them and remind them of the ‘dreaded pictures’.

Set a healthy example

It is said that 80 per cent of children’s food preferences rely on an adult’s food preferences. They are hugely influenced by what they see their elders doing and so in this sense, if they see you eating a well balanced, healthy diet they will assume that this in turn is the correct thing to do. Lead by example, not by words.

If you diet, your children will too

If, every time your child opens up the fridge, they find nothing but SlimFast products, they will begin to assume that this is the norm, and therefore what they should do. NOt only will this reduce a child's self-esteem and self-image, but it will reinforce a negative idea of 'healthy eating'.

To be "on a diet" implies that you will come off it at some point. This indicates to your children that one need only eat healthily occasionally - but it should be a constant.

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