The eating habits you have as an adult are behaviors you learned from your parents. Your children learn about healthy foods and nutrition by watching you prepare and eat food. Include your entire family when you cook and consume meals. Together you will develop life-long healthy eating habits that will help you stay healthy and maintain a normal weight.
Planning Meals and Snacks
You should eat a variety of foods from each food group daily. MyPyramid.gov is a website designed by the United States Department of Agriculture that outlines each of the food groups. Foods are broken down into grains, vegetables, fruits, meat and beans, dairy, and oils.
Your meals and snacks should include foods from each food group. Plan your meals for the week before you go grocery shopping and make a list. Portion your snacks, such as almonds or pretzels, into plastic bags on Sunday night. Throughout the week, grab a snack or two for the day or have them ready as your child's after-school snack.
Food Groups
Get all of the nutrients your body needs throughout the day by consuming foods from each food group at every meal. Eat 3 to 4 oz. or the equivalent from the grain group, including wheat bread, pasta and brown rice. About half of your grain consumption should come from whole grains. Enjoy 2 to 3 cups of vegetables daily. If fresh veggies are not available, opt for the frozen variety. Include 1-1/2 to 2 cups of fruit each day. This can include an 8-oz. serving of 100 percent fruit juice. Eat or drink 3 cups or the equivalent from the dairy group, but select low-fat varieties such as 1 percent milk or reduced-fat cheese.
You need 5 to 6 oz. from the meat and beans group each day. Purchase lean varieties of meat such as skinless chicken breast, veal cutlets, cod and shrimp. You can also enjoy beans, nuts or soy protein from this group. Lastly, include heart-healthy oils in your diet. Healthy fats, such as monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, help raise your good HDL cholesterol and reduce your risk of heart disease. These fats can be found in olive oil or avocados. You can have 5 to 7 tsp. from the oil group every day.
Portion Sizes
Consuming healthy, nutritious foods at each meal is only efficient if you control your portions. Eating large portions of a healthy food may cause it to become unhealthy. You will eat more if you have a larger portion of food in front of you. This may cause you to consume excess fat and calories which can lead to weight gain. Read labels on food packaging to verify the correct portion size. When you go out to eat, share your entree or ask for a box when the meal arrives. Immediately package up half of your meal so you are not tempted to eat it all. This will also give you lunch or dinner for the next day.
Eating at the Dinner Table
While you may find it difficult to have a family dinner at the table every night, you should opt for the family meal routine a few nights a week. Eating as a family lets your children know that they are your first priority and allows everyone a few moments to unwind and bond with each other. According to the Family Guide, family meals may reduce your child's risk of youth substance abuse and increase her overall health. Girls who consume more than four meals with their family each week, are one-third less likely to develop unhealthy eating habits.
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