Getting kids to eat healthy is a daunting task but it can be accomplished. Learn some easy steps to ensure your kid eats healthy from our tips below.
Encourage kids to make healthy food choices:
Children often prefer food that they enjoy eating.To encourage kids to eat healthy food, parents should make healthy food more appealing.Parents should focus on the overall diet of their child rather than specific foods.
Practice what you preach:
Children often imitate habits of adults. Do not expect your child to eat fruits and vegetables especially if you are gorging on potato chips yourself.
Prepare meals at home:
Studies have revealed that children who ate in fast food and full- services restaurants increased their intake of salt, sugar and calories, making them overweight and unhealthy. Preparing meals hat home can play a crucial role in keeping your child fit and healthy.
However, if you are unable to cook meals on a day to day basis, preparing large meals in batches few times can help your families have healthy food for the whole week.
Get them involved:
Involving your kids in grocery shopping and preparing meals will help them feel involved in making healthy food choices. Teaching them how to read food labels at the grocery stores can help them select healthier versions of their favorite food.
Store healthy food at home:
Stocking food such as fresh fruits, vegetables and healthy beverages (fresh fruit juice, milk or water) at home can encourage kids to reach out to these healthy food choices whenever they are hungry. It is also recommended that you keep unhealthy snacks such as chips, soda and cookies, out of the reach of children.
Encourage kids to eat small meals:
To keep children healthy, it is important that kids eat small healthy meals. Never bribe or reward your child with food. In addition, ensure that you do not force the child to eat everything on the plate especially if he is feeling full.
Eat a Healthy breakfast:
Ensure that your kids start their day with a healthy breakfast. Include protein rich foods such as milk, meat, eggs cereals or fish in your breakfast. Eating a healthy breakfast not only helps a child feel more energetic, have better memories and stable mood, but also helps teenagers lose weight.
Preparing breakfast that provides your child with the required nutrition for healthy growth need not be time consuming. Boil some eggs once a week and serve them each morning to your kids with apple, whole milk or high- protein cereal. Another great breakfast idea for kids would be to make burritos filled with cheese, scrambled eggs, beef or chicken on Sunday and then freeze them.
Opt for Organic Foods:
Encouraging children to eat organic foods helps reduce the risk of levels of toxins and pesticides in their body. Choose to feed your kids with organic fruits and vegetables that do not need to be peeled before eating- tomatoes, lettuce, apples or berries. Opt for conventional thick-skinned fruits and vegetables such as bananas, oranges and avocados. Before eating conventionally grown produce, gently scrub it with a brush. This will help remove pesticide residue that may have been left behind if it is washed only with water.