How to encourage your child to eat all food groups.

I have an idea which I have used very effectively to encouraging my step kids to eat foods from the following food groups; carbohydrates,protein,calcium,fruit and veg and dairy.

When my step kids lived with us for a while they both came with major eating problems.They wouldn't eat fruit or

veg of any kind except tinned carrots! One of the girls had to go to a dietician because she was so underweight and underdeveloped for her age.They were at the time they lived with us aged 6 and 7. I was told by the time a child reaches the age of 5,they have developed their likes and dislikes of food-obviusly depending on the variety of which they have tried.They had never eaten fresh veg of any kind,hadn't tried braised beef etc,there were lots of things they hadn't had or said they didn't like.It really used to upset me to see these little girls so undernourished and seemed to have a real dislike for food.One of them actually told me her mum had told her if she ate too much food she would get too fat.I was totally horrified,she was 7 years old and only weighed 4 stone!

To try and encourage them to eat I devised a chart using coloured stickers to correspond with each food group.Firstly I explained to them the importance of each food group and how our body used food as fuel.I told them if a car didn't have petrol it wouldn't work just like their bodies wouldn't work if they didn't eat food.

HOW TO DO YOUR CHART;    Take a large placemat used at mealtimes for plates-the bigger the better.Let the child choose a coloured paper of their choice and cover the mat with the paper.

Divide the mat into different sections in accordance with food groups.You can adapt this and simplify the 'areas' for stickers to go in accordance with the childs age.

Next, in each section write different groups;Protein-fish,chicken,eggs,meat etc.Carbohydrates;Wholemeal bread,cereals(not sugar coated),potatoes etc.Fruit and veg-the broader the spectrum of different fruit and veg the better.I never counted potato as veg but as a carbohydrate for energy.Dairy;Cheese,milk(1/2 pint of wholemilk a day),yoghurts-eggs can also go in this section. It is up to you what you choose to go where.

Cover the chart with clear plastic so it can be wiped with a cloth.Leave enough space in the middle of the mat for the plate to go.As your child eats place a sticker in the particular section on their mat corresponding with what they have eaten.

I used red for meat and proteins,green for veg and fruit,yellow for dairy and blue for carbohydrates.

I found this really successful but it was very hard work and at times really frustrating.To stand and cook a meal from scratch and a child to say,'ugh,that looks disgusting' because they haven't tried it before,really hurts your feelings.I must admit I did shout at times because all you want to do as a mother is nurture it and see it grow.

They lived with us for 7 months and when they went back to mums they had both gained weight and looked a picture of health-although food was still a problem for them.Lots of luck