Are you having a tough time getting your child to cut down on the junk food and eat more nutritious meals? Here are some tips to encourage healthy eating:

¢ Lighten up: A recent study revealed that children of moms who are overly strict about food – the clean-plate advocates – are five times as likely to be overweight by first grade as kids whose moms are a bit more flexible.

¢ Make expectations clear, but be flexible. Tell your children they’re expected to eat a vegetable at dinne, but give them some choices and let them decide on the amount.

¢ Don’t limit foods or use them as rewards. This just makes it more likely they’ll overeat when these treats are served. Removing that special status will help prevent kids from thinking of these foods differently and hopefully decrease their cravings for them.

¢ Serve a variety of healthy choices from an early age. Over time, they’ll be more likely to accept a wide array of foods. Remember that you may have to serve such foods more than 15 times before a child finally eats them.