Reward Chart To Encourage Healthy Eating

[Sofarris]

Hi everyone,

I don't normally start threads but here goes.

I received an email newsletter the other day that contained a link to download a reward chart that you can use to encourrage healthy eating. You can see it here v8juice.co.uk/free-kids-reward-chart/

I think the chart looks good and my son of 5 has a real dislike of vegetables (he's not too bad with tasty fruits) so I think I'm going to give it a go. I just wanted to ask if anyone had any previous experience with using reward charts? Did you find them succesfull? Also do you have any tips you could give me to get the most out of it?

One thing I've thought of is doing it with him, one reward chart for me and one for him. I hope that will encourage him.

Anyway, thanks in advance for all your help.

I am not sure it is a good idea to make any firm focus on what a child eats. If you serve up healthy foods your child will eat them or not. Do not offer less healthy alternatives.
Young children have no idea what 'healthy' food is - but they do pick up on any anxiety their parent has about what they eat and whether they are eating it or not.
If your child refuses vegetables don't make an issue of it - just always serve them up. Let go of 'controlling' what your child eats or leaves but set an example with what they see you eating.

I completely agree with Davsmum. As he's 5, he's not in charge of what gets served to him. Offer a variety of healthy foods (without referring to things as healthy/unhealthy or naughty/good or whatever) and let him eat to his appetite.

Eating should not be a chore that he will only do for a reward. Food should not be a big focus of attention or discussion, it just creates issues if you make a big deal of what gets eaten or not eaten.

Thanks for both getting back to me. I completely understand what you're both saying but I think the damage my have already been done in terms of him knowing what healthy foods are. It's my fault I know but he genuinely didn't like a lot of the 'healthy' stuff I gave him when he was a bit younger and I couldn't let him go hungry. He genuinely won't eat it now so I can't just let him leave the dinner table hungry every night.

I'm always eating fruit and veg in front of him but that doesn't seem to help either. He's used to some form of reward system so I'm hoping this will be the one that helps see him through to when he starts to like fruit and veg. Does anyone else out there think this is a terrible idea? Or has anyone had some success with it?

Well, I don't think it's too late to start taking the pressure off food and eating. All you have to do is just stop talking about what he is eating/not eating.

Offer him food that he will eat that is reasonably healthy, with a small serving of something he normally won't eat. Don't say anything about it, don't draw attention to it and don't engage in any discussion of it. If he complains or makes a fuss about it being on his plate, then reply "that's ok, just leave it there if you don't eat it". Keep repeating this if he keeps making a fuss. Allow him a decent amount of time to eat his food, and then clear away. Don't make any comment about what he has or hasn't eaten. Then give a pudding if you had planned one, assuming it is something healthy e.g. Fruit and plain yoghurt, irrespective of how much main course he has eaten. Only offer healthy snacks in between meals, and if he doesn't want it then just take it away without comment. If he asks for something else, just say "no, that's not what we're having for a snack today" each time he asks.

It can take 15 or more exposures to a food before a child may try it so you have to be very patient. If you serve things alongside things he will eat then he isn't going to be hungry, and he will get there in the end. If you think about it, it has taken 5 years to get to this point so there isn't going to be a quick fix.

Totally agree with Embarrasseds advice.
Too many Mums are too obsessed about what their child will/will not. Stop making it an issue.

Thanks EmbarrassedPossessed, that is actually some very sound advice. I'll give it a go and see if it sticks or not.

I followed the above advice & my 3 year old now eats all sorts I'd never expected him too. He gets properly excited about tomatoes, it's quite odd!