Parenting can be tough, especially when it comes to getting your kids to eat a varied diet.
Little ones can be fussy and often turn their heads at fruit and vegetables. But a doctor on TikTok has shared some simple advice that could boost their health.
Doctor Mel from the @drsmandm account said it can be tough to get children to eat a good variety in this day and age. Between constant advertising for ultra-processed foods, and the fact that certain foods are actually designed to be very "addictive", she understands the journey to success can be tough. "Once they've got a taste for them, they don't really want all of the other healthy foods that you're trying to offer them," she said.
Recently, she went on a course where this issue was discussed, and one idea seemed pretty helpful. She explained: "One suggestion was to get your children to explore food a bit more because, sometimes, the reason they don't want to eat it is because it's something new and unusual to them.
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"So I tried this. I really want my son to eat peppers, so I gave him some peppers, and said 'you don't have to eat them - you can do whatever you want. Here's a chopping board, here's a chopped knife, have a play'." He "loved it", and played with the peppers for a good hour-or-so. He cut them up into little pieces, and asked if they could be cooked so he could try them.
Now, she said he thinks about peppers "positively". He may not scoff down a big pile but, if you put them on his plate, he will eat them in moderation. She saw this is a big "win", as her son isn't that great when it comes to trying new things.
Hundreds of people have liked the video since it was shared, and some have started sharing their own tricks for getting children to eat more too. It looks as though all parents have different methods.
One person wrote: "Hidden veg! Finely chopped into pasta sauces etc. Also getting them to help prepare the meal worked with mine too."
