From the author: One of the significant problems that often worries parents is the nutrition of their children. Many children do not eat some healthy foods, according to their parents. Some people don’t eat cottage cheese, others don’t eat beet salad, and still others don’t eat buckwheat. A parent is faced with a difficult question: should a child be force-fed with foods that he refuses to eat? The answer to this question can be found in an experiment that was conducted in 1928 by Clara Davis. As part of the study, children were asked to eat the food they chose for themselves. The children were offered a balanced diet (vegetables, fruits, grains, dairy and meat products in any quantity), but the adults did not insist that the children eat any of the products offered. Children could choose the food they wanted to eat. The experiment revealed that the children's diet was extremely balanced, although on any given day the children ate differently. One day the child could eat, for example, only porridge, the next day or two he gave preference to meat products, there were days when the child ate only fruit, etc. The amount of calories I received was also not the same every day. On some days the child received barely half the calories, on other days the number of calories significantly exceeded the age norm. However, overall, on average, each child consumed adequate amounts of calories, vitamins and nutrients. Moreover, the children who had previously suffered from anemia recovered. Based on the results of the study, it was concluded that if there is an adequate set of products, the child can regulate the process of his own nutrition. Moreover, he will do this more effectively than any nutritionist. What about children today? It turns out that by offering a child a balanced diet, and even forcing him to eat something that he does not like (does not want now), we are more likely to harm the child’s health than to benefit him? Indeed, you should not force your child to eat foods that the child does not like. Just as you should not give the child the opportunity to eat in the desired amount what the child wants to eat (we are talking about healthy eating). Experience shows that a child who has refused broccoli for a long time may suddenly start eating it. In the same way, a child who has loved, for example, corn porridge for a long time, may begin to refuse his previously favorite dish. You should not force your child to eat. It is better to give the child the opportunity to eat what his body needs at the moment..