Daviot Kelly, Staff Reporter

Patties are always a favourite at lunch time. - Photo by Rasbert Turner

Raising children is not an easy job and one of the more difficult aspects is getting them to eat healthy.

With busy schedules meaning early starts in the mornings, and more than likely no energy left to cook on the return home, this is a challenge!

Whether your child is a toddler or a teen, you can take steps to improve nutrition and encourage smart eating habits. Try to serve a variety of healthy foods and snacks, be a role model by eating healthy yourself and involve them in the food selection process.

This doesn't even have to solely apply to your own little ones. Sometimes, you have to take care of other people's children.

"My daughter has been eating fruits and vegetables from the very beginning so I had no problem. But in giving other children things I normally mix fruits with vegetable which is colourful and makes it attractive and tasty," says Hyacinth Maitland from Bull Bay. She also recommends little things like a fruit drink and cheese sandwich as a snack.

Children, especially younger ones, will eat mostly what's available at home. That's why it's important to control the supply lines - the foods that you serve for meals and have on hand for snacks. Keep more healthy alternatives at home. But don't completely ban favourite snacks (like potato chips and candy treats) from your home. Instead, make them 'once-in-a-while' foods, so your child doesn't feel deprived.

"At one point I would had to feed her off my plate for her to eat vegetables, but that was three years ago. Now I have to tell her to stop eating; she eats everything and I do mean everything," jokes Maecher Braham, administrative assistant. Her daughter has now developed healthy habits. "She likes drinking water, does not like gravy and sometimes will ask that no meat be added to her plate. She keeps asking me for pak choy," she added.

If you can get your children thinking about what they eat for lunch, you may be able to help them make positive changes. A good place to start may be at the grocery store where you can shop together for healthy, packable foods.

Other useful tips

Don't force children to clean their plates. Doing so teaches them to override feelings of fullness (when they've had enough).

Don't bribe or reward children with food. Avoid using dessert as the prize for eating the meal.

Don't use food as a way of showing love.

Use homework supervision time to make the juices and sandwiches overnight.

Prepare an extra chicken breast or few ounces of roast beef on Sundays and use that for nutritious sandwiches on Mondays.

Freeze juices and water overnight and ease the load in the mornings.

atime source: www.kidshealth.org.