How To Change Fast Food Mentality In Kids

Obesity in children is escalating at an alarming rate, according to health organizations such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and American Heart Association. In addition to a lack of exercise, poor eating, which includes consuming a lot of fast foods, is a major contributor to this trend. Allowing kids to eat healthier versions of familiar foods and teaching them to prepare their own meals will help make them less likely to make burgers and pizza the mainstays of their diet.

Education

Telling kids that fast food is bad for them without telling them why likely won’t help them overcome the peer pressure they face to eat like their friends. Get them interested in eating healthier by teaching them where foods come from, the difference between processed and whole foods, and how specific diseases and conditions, like diabetes, can affect their daily lives. Take them to local farms, dairies and farmer’s markets to let them see how the foods they eat are grown or made, and let them meet the people who provide the foods they eat every day.

Substitutions

Instead of forbidding your children from eating burgers, fries, pizza and chicken fingers, teach them how to make healthier selections when dining out, and how to make healthier versions of favorites at home. Skipping the mayo and cheese on a hamburger significantly reduces the saturated fat and cholesterol content. Ordering a thin crust pizza with veggies and less cheese lets your kids eat healthier when at a pizzeria. A grilled chicken sandwich with extra lettuce and tomatoes is a healthier choice than a fried chicken sandwich with mayo.
At home, make sliders from ground turkey breast and serve with baked sweet potato fries. Serve tacos or burritos with refried beans or ground turkey instead of hamburger. Skip the sour cream and cheese and add more salsa, lettuce, tomatoes and avocado. Make personal pizzas at home using whole grain English muffins, a low-fat pizza sauce, low-fat cheese and their favorite veggies. Bake chicken fingers instead of deep-frying them.

Participation

Let kids plan menus, shop for the groceries and make meals. This will give them ownership of dishes, making it less likely that they’ll reject them. Plan several days’ worth of meals, create a complete shopping list, then go to the grocery store. At the store, have your child compare different brands of ingredients, using food labels to find out which have the fewest calories, least fat and most nutrients.

Planning

In addition to planning meals, have kids create daily eating plans that provide them with a healthy number of calories and all of the nutrients they’ll need. Download a copy of “Dietary Guidelines for Americans,” from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s website and find the daily recommended calorie intake for each child, based on age, gender and activity level. Create a daily eating plan that provides the USDA’s recommended amounts of whole grains, vegetables, fruits, protein, healthy fats, vitamins and minerals.