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What children like to eat

What children like to eat

August 2008

At a recent survey taken in a US town, about 100 kids gave the answer to their five most favorite refreshments excluding desserts. This survey should give you an idea of what your kid will enjoy most and save you much botheration. Topping the list and coming at number 1 was macaroni and cheese. This has to be, almost unanimously, Kraft Mac and Cheese. And of course no mac and cheese dish is complete without pouring ketchup all over it. Just missing the number one slot and coming in at number 2 was fried chicken. The kids overwhelmingly voted on Kentucky Fried Chicken and white meat only. Therefore you need not take pains to prepare them at home. Do not forget the biscuit that comes with it as most kids said that without the biscuit it is no good.

The third most popular choice was the hot dog which appeared to be more popular than the hamburger though by a small margin. As for how these kids liked their hot dog varied sharply as some kids liked them just with mustard while others preferred mustard and sauerkraut. There was also a group of kids who enjoyed their hot dogs with ketchup. At the fourth slot was hamburger on a bun without anything fanciful as regards condiments. Kids seem to hate onions as they did not want onions anywhere near their hamburger. Just some ketchup was all they required and the buns to be strictly hamburger buns. Spaghetti and Meatballs were the overall number 5 choice. Kids preferred this more out of the can than home made. Offering your kid a plate of spaghetti and meatballs would be more than enough to bring a smile on his or her face.

We all know ice cream is a kid’s most favorite food but if eaten too often and in large quantities it could lead to excess of calories and fat. Today, there are many healthier substitutes for ice cream including frozen yogurt, sorbet and ice creams with reduced fat content. Milkshakes are a classic sweet for all children But, instead of using the standard ingredients like full-fat milk, ice cream and whipped cream, we can offer kids lower fat and healthier variations such as low-fat soymilks, protein powder, yogurt, fruit and nuts. There is no kid that does not love sweets but unfortunately too much sugar consumption can ruin their health. Over-eating of sweets causes childhood obesity, tooth decay and poor nutrition.

Researchers also opine that children who eat a lot of sugar consume significantly less protein, vitamin E, B vitamins, iron and zinc. Kids have a natural preference for sweets and the rest of their taste preferences are not natural but more acquired. There are healthy sweets and unhealthy ones and you must prepare your child to opt for the healthy sweets. So instead of giving your kid a yogurt full of artificial sweeteners, try plain yogurt sweetened naturally with bananas. Instead of packaged fruit snacks, offer fresh blueberries. Go for minimally sweetened cereals instead of the sugary, frosted kinds. There are lots of ways to indulge your child's sweet tooth without accustoming him to the damaging effects of overly sugared foods.

See Related Articles:

• Snacks and sweets are children's favorites (Aug 2008)

• What children like to eat (Aug 2008)

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