Teaching children healthy eating habits can be challenging, however, the reward is great. Poor eating habits can lead to chronic illnesses such as obesity, diabetes, heart conditions, heart attack or stroke. It is important to start teaching these habits early to children. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention childhood obesity has tripled in the past 30 years. There are easy and fun ways to teach children to eat healthy on the home front.
Step 1
Have family meal time. Families who have family meal time generally consume more nutrients, according to Meals Matter. In addition it is a wonderful way for family members to touch base, enjoy each other and talk. Family meal time can help a child develop positive attitudes related to food. Having a family meal ritual is good for both the physical and mental well-being of children.
Step 2
Be creative with meals. Sometimes, presentation is key when it comes to introducing new food, especially vegetables and fruit. Having a variety of food is important, however, sometimes it is difficult to get children to try new things. Try introducing new food through a creative presentation or making it into a game.
Step 3
Make healthy food available. If there are a variety of healthy choices in the snack cupboard or refrigerator, it is more likely that a child will choose these to eat. Keep unhealthy food and snacks with low nutritional value out of the house. Having a healthy selection of snacks in the home forces children to make the right choices.
Step 4
Include your children while you are cooking. Engaging children in the process of preparing and cooking meals gets children interested in food. Preparing healthy meals and snacks with them gives them a sense of ownership over the product, and they may be more likely to eat it. Cooking food with children is a chance for quality time as well as gives them valuable experiences related to food they will remember in the future.
Step 5
Practice what you preach. If a child witnesses that a parent or caregiver eats unhealthy, they will also learn unhealthy habits. Show your child that you are serious and committed to eating healthy and they will be too.
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