your childs eating habits can be exasperating at the best of times kids are known to be fussy eaters and can take hours to finish a meal there has also been a surge in the amount of processed foods that have hit the market in the last decade not to mention the array of junk food restaurants that crowd our streets a child needs essential nutrients that help in mental and physical development which is why it is important that heshe develops good nutrition habits snacking during the day is also another dilemma that parents go through clinical nutritionist dr nupur krishnan says that children should be encouraged to have healthy snacks inbetween meals healthy snacking boosts energy levels and helps in concentration it distributes calories required by the body evenly throughout the day teach your child how to snack only when hungry rather than wait for the next meal this will reduce the temptation to eat junk food to add variety and colour to snacks choose from all food groups such as cereals pulses and legumes fruits and vegetables milk and milk products nuts and seedswith this quick guide you will find simple ways to establish healthy eating habits make it a habit to eat together in the din ing area encourage children to set the table so that they feel involved avoid eat ing in front of the tv instead talk about the day or current affairs establish a rou tine that the whole family can look for ward to kids tend to copy adults so dont eat junk food in front of them instead show them how healthy home cooked food can also be tasty studies say that children are more inclined to eat foods that are colourful dont shy away from experimenting with dishes and ask your kids for feedback this way they know that their opinion also matters if your kid is fussy about having raw fruits make a fruitbased pudding or a fruit smoothie which theyre more likely to enjoy encourage your child to help in preparing dishes chances are they will be more open to eating dishes they help make many children detest vegetables make them into a paste or blend them into baked dishes soups lasagna or even pulao this way once kids are familiar with the taste they will be less fussy when you give them cooked vegetables discourage aerated and sodabased drinks instead give them juices coconut water buttermilk and soups inbetween meals lean meat and red meat should be a part of meals at least twice or thrice a week this will keep them full for a longer time and also provide iron that children req uire while growing up oily fish like sar dines and salmon contain omega oils that are known to keep the mind sharp no matter how early school is breakfast is an absolute must this will kickstart their day and ensure energy levels dont dip by noon