Green beans and carrots cause most kids to find creative ways to avoid eating them. Parents face the challenge of getting kids to eat a healthy diet on a daily basis. Simple strategies help your kids make healthier choices which will last into adulthood. Establish healthy eating habits in your children at an early age for the best results.
Green beans and carrots cause most kids to find creative ways to avoid eating them. Parents face the challenge of getting kids to eat a healthy diet on a daily basis. Simple strategies help your kids make healthier choices which will last into adulthood. Establish healthy eating habits in your children at an early age for the best results.
Sugar
It's simple to tell parents to limit the sugar intake of children. In practice, it is more challenging, particularly when the kids beg for sweets. Instead of eliminating all sweets, help the kids redefine their definition. Make sweet fruits more appealing by dicing them and sliding them onto a bamboo skewer. Use yogurt sweetened with honey as a dip. Make homemade popsicles by pureeing fruit sweetened with honey. Offer these healthier sweet treats for dessert in place of cookies, cakes or other sugary desserts with no nutritional value.
Model Behaviors
If you expect your kids to make healthy diet choices, it's important to model those behaviors yourself. Children look to the adults in their lives every day for guidance. Make healthy eating a family affair, with the adults paving the way by passing up unhealthy choices in favor of more nutritious options. Cooking nutritious family meals that you enjoy together sends kids a powerful message about nutrition.
Avoid Power Struggles
Kids often display picky eating habits periodically. While these episodes prove frustrating for many parents, power struggles to force kids to eat often make them resist even more. Offer the healthy meal or snack option, encouraging your child to eat it. If she refuses, remind her that she won't have the option of any other snacks and leave it at that. Avoid engaging in an argument about the situation. Avoid the temptation to force your child to eat the food. When she realizes you won't make her a special meal or snack, she may try the food placed in front of her.
Family Cooking
Turn meal and snack preparation into a family activity. Kids enjoy spending time in the kitchen and may try more foods if they help cook them. The family activity also helps kids learn about measuring and following steps to achieve the desired result. Another way to get the kids involved is to ask for their help in creating a weekly dinner menu. They learn how to develop balanced meals and feel more involved in the process.
Expand the Options
Go outside your typical comfort zone when it comes to healthy food options. The entire family may benefit from trying different produce or dishes from other cultures. Adding new options to the family menu also avoids getting into a rut at meal time. Explore the produce section and pick out a few items you wouldn't normally purchase. Look for ethnic cuisine recipes, trying a new one each week.
Healthy Shopping
Stocking your cupboards with healthy snack and meal options encourages kids to stick with a healthy diet. Always shop with a grocery list that includes fresh produce, lean meats, whole grains, fish, beans and other healthy options. Avoid prepared meals that are often high in sodium, preservatives, fat and calories. Take the kids shopping with you and teach them how to read nutrition labels to assess the health value of the foods. Items that claim to be healthy often have hidden problems such as high sodium content. Teaching these healthy shopping skills at an early age helps kids as they grow into adults.
