Whether you have a toddler or a teenager, healthy eating is a constant concern for parents. The American Dietetic Association says that food, nutrition and eating skills are among the most important things you can share with children: food to fuel busy, successful lives; nutrition to nourish strong bodies and smart brains; and eating skills to enjoy the social aspect of meals with family and friends.
Get Them Involved
Young children love helping out in the kitchen. This is a great way to interest them in trying new foods. Your little helper can help scrub vegetables, make a salad, measure and pour ingredients, set the table, wipe the table with a clean cloth and help with the dishes. Gardening is another way to involve kids with healthy foods. As they learn where foods come from and how they are grown, they may be more likely to try them out of curiosity.
Lead by Example
Help children learn to eat healthy foods by setting a good example. Make family dinner time a priority. Eat together at the table without distractions of television or radio. Eat well yourself and be a positive role model by enjoying the same variety of foods you have provided for your children. Eating together should be a pleasant experience and provide quality family time.
Restock Your Cupboards
Feed your children real food, found in the major food groups of My Pyramid. Keep a variety of healthy, ready-to-eat snacks available, such as fresh fruit, cut-up vegetables, yogurt, pretzels, pita breads, unsweetened fruit sauces, whole-grain crackers, low-fat cheeses, cereals and milk. Stop buying packaged cookies, candies, chips and soda, which offer little nutrition but extra sugar, salt and fat. Fill your cupboards with healthy foods and save treats only for special occasions. By changing the eating environment at home, you help your kids make better choices.
Quit the Take-Out
Dining out or picking up fast convenience foods to bring home has become a norm in recent years instead of an exception. "Science Daily" notes a study from "Project EAT: Eating Among Teens," in which 51 percent of families surveyed reported eating fast food as a family meal one to two times a week. Get back to basics with your family's health. Try quick and easy meals prepared at home and packed with good nutrition instead of fast foods.
Be Fun and Flexible
Mealtimes should be fun and enjoyable. Respect your child's appetite and understand he will eat enough food if you provide balanced meals consistently. Remember, everything in moderation is okay. Build a healthy relationship to food with your child by offering new foods alongside old favorites.
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