Are You Teaching Your Child To Eat Healthy? – Being Parents

Our quality of life is strongly determined by our state of health. This is why it is so important to get children used to healthy eating and exercise. The key to doing this is teaching them to make better choices when it comes to feeding.

As adults, one of the most important duties is to make the decision and the responsibility to ensure that children eat properly. Parents’ example influences children’s view of healthy and unhealthy foods.

Tips for teaching them to eat healthy

If you don’t yet know how to educate your children about nutrition, take note of the following tips:

1. Involve them in the preparation

Involve your children in the process of buying and preparing food. This way, they will be more aware of what they are eating.

For the little ones, you can offer them to choose between two healthy options. You can also take them into the kitchen and invite them to cook the simpler recipes.

2. Know the origin of the food

In addition to taking them to the supermarket, go with them to a local farmers market or to a farm. The experience of collecting the fruit, extracting the milk and obtaining their own food will change their perspective. A good advice to put into practice is to have a small vegetable patch in your garden.

3. Prepare healthy snacks

In the kitchen, if children find a lot of healthy foods, they will get used to them. Leave the ones you want them to eat within their reach. The best options are fruit pieces, carrots, wholemeal cookies, dried fruit, and water.

4. Remind them to hydrate well

In addition to having a solid and balanced diet, it is essential that the body is hydrated. Eating healthy  also means consuming enough water, and in addition, fruit juice and milk.

With the little ones, take every opportunity to introduce them to new, healthy foods.

5. Start by shaping good eating habits

The food tastes of your children will largely depend on yours. Indeed, they learn your habits in the stomach. When you go out to eat with your family, try to make the most balanced choices so that they can follow their example for their future. It is the best motivation for having a healthy lifestyle.

6. Be constant and persevering

Children need more than one attempt to feel drawn to new foods. If you can’t do it the first time around, look for a different way to prepare or present.

Avoid giving up when the child first refuses a dish. He will certainly welcome her better next time.

“Cardiovascular disease is the number one cause of death in the world. This is undoubtedly due to an unhealthy lifestyle. Next comes cancer, and it is already well proven that diet also plays an important role in this disease ”

-World Health Organization-

7. Give reasonable portions of food

Consider the ages of the children before placing a full plate on the table. Don’t insist that your children finish their plate when you serve them. Just focus on eating healthily and enough to meet their nutritional needs.

8. Prepare meals at home

Most of the food you buy in stores and chain restaurants is unhealthy. They contain additional amounts of sugar and harmful fats that you can avoid while cooking at home.

If you don’t have time to prepare meals on a daily basis, you can cook several days in advance.

9. Emphasize food in general more than food in particular

Eating healthy doesn’t mean kids can never eat burgers or hot dogs. What is important is that the nutritional basis is adequate  and that the child consumes a higher percentage of healthy foods. A dessert or a candy can also be part of the meals.

Take care of your health and that of your children! Help them take responsibility for their own choices. You will give them the necessary bases. Then they will take care of their health in the future.