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Each and every child is unique in their own ways, with different needs, different wants, and different overall habits. When it comes to taking care of a new child in your home, you will be presented with different learning curves that you must learn to understand, overcome, and learn from.
One of the unexpected challenges you may come across when learning about the newest addition to your home is discovering their eating habits, favorite foods, or other little details that encourage their personal feelings of comfort and satisfaction.
When a new child arrives at your home, they may be accustomed to an environment in which proper or healthy eating habits were not encouraged or enforced, whether it be due to negligence or simply a lack of budget for it. This is an opportunity to establish healthy eating habits and better nutrition for those new residents.
Here are some tips on how to encourage balanced eating:
Portion Sizes to Match:
Whether it be due to simple neglect or difficult financial situations, the portion sizes that these children may be accustomed to may be an extreme on one end of the spectrum or another. One of your goals as a resource parent is to help them find the right balance, starting with small, healthy portions as to not overwhelm, and allowing them to adjust accordingly as is fit for them.
Provide Options:
Another helpful suggestion for encouraging healthy eating is providing a variety of options that help to avoid creating points of struggles regarding food. Find out the foods that both you and the child are comfortable with, and incorporate them with other healthier, balanced options.
Snack Time:
Snack time is enjoyable for everyone, and naturally should be permitted (in moderation) for your child as well. Providing snack options that are both healthy and fun helps to create a balanced feeling of safety and comfort for the children in your home. Children removed from negligent families may not have previously known where their next meal was coming from, and having these snacks ready and available may help to settle any remaining fears.
