Tips to Teach your child to eat well

Take your child on a little field trip to the grocery store and look in the fruit and vegetable (produce) section.

Talk about the beautiful colors. You may put together a meal based on assorted colored foods that look nice together. For instance; sweet red peppers, light green cucumbers, and crunchy orange carrots may complement a piece of chicken or fish.

As you wash and then cut the veggies you may think about arranging them in the shape of a smiley face or something else that appeals to your child. For toddlers, crunchy foods should be cut into small pieces or chopped.

Make meal time pleasant. Offer healthy foods and keep desserts out of the house except for maybe once a week. Talk with your child about the flavors of food and then vary the conversation and show interest in his/her thoughts. Try to relax and enjoy your own meal at the same time - playing the role model.

Save fruit for dessert. You can't teach a child to like something but you can offer choices. As your child matures his/her tastes for different foods will change and mature as well. You can help by offering a wide variety of colorful foods.

When a child has a minor tummy ache try heating up a Mouse heating pad, the perfect size for a little tummy, or a Maine Warmers' Bunny. Both make lovely get-well gifts -- without calories -- for children or adults.

and have several uses. Pediatricians often recommend heat to soothe an ear ache. Both of these Comforting Creatures can be frozen to help soothe childhood bumps and bruises.