Healthy eating is important for children's lifelong health, academic achievement and development. Harvard School of Public Health reports that when children use dieting as a way to control their weight, they actually end up more likely to binge eat and gain weight in the long run. Therefore, the best way for children to maintain a healthy weight is to learn and practice overall healthy eating habits.
Stick to Water
Adequate water consumption is important for a child's proper growth and development. Children may be unaware of the water they lose through sweating or running around while playing. Children should understand that water consumption will help them perk up when they feel tired. Water is the best thing that children can drink even though they may be tempted to drink soda, juice or sugary sports drinks. The high calorie content of those drinks can lead to unnecessary weight gain in children. This weight gain can impact the development of future health problems. Also, steering clear of soda will help children avoid caffeine, which causes more water to be lost from the body throughout the day.
Help With Shopping
Children can help their parents shop for healthy food to bring into the house for snacks and meals. Having proper foods choices in the house will make it easier for children to eat healthy and avoid snacking on junk food. Children can accompany their parents on trips to the grocery store and help to pick out healthy foods. Parents can eliminate the unhealthy foods from the shopping list and stop stocking them in the house.
Healthy School Lunch
Eating healthy at lunch time during the school day can be hard for some children. Children who bring their lunch too school can enjoy a healthy and satisfying lunch to eat, but children must avoid trading their food for unhealthy food or buying additional food. KidsHealth.org suggests packing lunches with variety throughout the week to avoid boredom and increase variety. Always choose to pack healthy foods that the children find personally enjoyable. When children must buy lunch at school, they should always choose some fresh fruits and vegetables and avoid buying prepackaged foods or desserts. These are generally high in calories and unnecessary fats. Children can choose proteins such as peanut butter or grilled meats. They should try to avoid any fried food options for school lunches.
Proper Snacks
Children can increase the amount of healthy foods they eat throughout the day and help keep their energy levels up by eating healthy snacks. Healthy snacks should be a part of a daily routine because snacking regularly can help children get the high amounts of nutrition they need throughout the day. Children can make healthy snacks to take with them to school and eat in between meals. These snacks should be made of proteins or high fiber foods. Possible snack options include vegetables dipped in hummus, apple slices in peanut butter, dried fruit and nut mix, low fat yogurt or whole grain crackers and low fat cheese slices.
Member Comments