During the childhood years, parents can profoundly influence their children’s food preferences, dietary habits and consequently their long-term general health. The trick for parents is to find ways to establish healthy food habits that will flow with your children into their adult life.

It’s very important that parents lead by example. If the whole family eats only healthy foods at home, mealtimes are a lot easier. Be wary of rewarding your children with food, as this can set up confusing associations with food. It’s better to reward them in other ways, such as playtime, reading them a story or taking them on a weekend adventure.

Keep foods varied, colourful and well presented. Visual appeal can work really well for some children. All the colours in the different fruits and vegetables represent an array of healthy nutrients and antioxidants. If your child does not like a certain food, don’t force them to eat it. Allow your child to leave it, but keep on offering that food periodically in a variety of different ways. Children will be more prone to experimenting with “new” foods if it’s done in a relaxed environment.

Allow your child to regulate his/her own food intake. If you provide a relaxed environment for dinner, allow your child to stop eating when they claim to be full, even if they haven’t eaten their whole meal. This can help to connect them to their own innate sense of hunger and satiety, which can be lost when they’re forced to eat everything the plate.

Help your children understand when they’re eating out of boredom, habit or for emotional reasons. Encourage them to cope with these feelings in other ways, such as going outside to play with friends, or take the time to sit down with them and have a chat.