Healthy eating in childhood can make a positive difference in a child's future health, self-esteem and academic success, but getting kids to eat healthy can be challenging. As a parent, you are busy and getting healthy meals into your child's diet seems to take more time than you have. But there are simple ways to get your child eating healthy.
Basics
Simple healthy eating for children means giving kids a variety of foods, serving processed foods in moderation and limiting your child's intake of junk foods and high-sugar foods. Picking healthier options at restaurants, such as whole grains, vegetables for sides and baked or grilled meats, will help you incorporate healthy eating into your child's diet.
Significance
Breakfast plays a significant role in simple healthy diets for kids. Teaching kids the importance of eating breakfast and making healthy breakfast choices will help them benefit from breakfast throughout their lives. According to the Child Development Institute, making a healthy breakfast an important part of a kid's diet will provide him with energy and fuel to help him be successful in the classroom until lunch time rolls around. A healthy breakfast should focus on providing fiber and protein and keeping sugar intake to a minimum. Some simple breakfast options include cereals made with whole grains, fruit smoothies, flavored oatmeal and whole-grain frozen waffles covered in fruit.
Considerations
Even children should consume unhealthy fats in moderate or limited amounts. According to FamilyDoctor.org, health problems such as high blood pressure and diabetes have begun to show up more often in childhood due to the increase in obesity at this age. Avoid including trans fats in your child's diet as much as possible. Even if your child consumes more than 1 percent of her daily calories in the form of trans fat, this can have a negative effect on her health. Also, the child's intake of saturated fat should be limited and replaced with healthy unsaturated fats. Read product labels to determine what kind of fats are in foods and keep a child's fast food intake to a minimum.
Insights
Stick to high-fiber and nutrient-rich foods in your child's diet. Look for foods that are made with primarily whole grains, such as certain types of pastas, breads, rice, oatmeal and crackers. Get your child to consume at least five servings of fruit and vegetables a day and avoid flavoring these foods with high-calorie dips and spreads. Adding these foods to your child's diet will ensure he gets enough fiber, vitamins and minerals.
Tips
There are simple things you can do to make your kid's diet healthier. Cook with olive oil or canola oil. Give your child a fruit and a vegetable serving with every meal. Limit soda intake to a special occasion, because sugary soda adds a significant amount of unnecessary calories. Serve a variety of proteins, including plant-based proteins such as beans, nuts and soy products. Serve low-fat or fat-free dairy products.
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