HEALTHY EATING

I have heard a lot of parents saying things like, “my child doesn’t like fruits”, or “my child doesn’t eat vegetables”. And I wonder why, when these are the things the children should be eating. Could it be that we don’t have the time to chop the vegetables or the patience to cut the fruits and make them creative enough for the children to eat?

It is important to note that healthy eating can stabilize children’s energy, sharpen their minds, and even out their moods. By encouraging healthy eating habits now, you can make a huge impact on your children’s lifelong relationship with food and give them the best opportunity to grow into healthy, confident adults.

Children develop a natural preference for the foods they enjoy the most, and the foods most served them, so the challenge is to make healthy choices appealing.

Children love cookies and sweets so you can ensure that your children’s diet is as nutritious and wholesome as possible, even while allowing for some of their favorite treats.

The childhood impulse to imitate is strong, so it’s important you act as a role model for your kids. It’s no good asking your child to eat fruit and vegetables while you eat biscuits, chocolates and juice all day. By eating fruits and vegetables and not overindulging in the less nutritious stuff, you'll be sending the right message. Another way to be a good role model is to serve appropriate portions and not overeat.

Tips to promote healthy childhood eating

• Have regular family meals. Knowing dinner is served at approximately the same time every night and that the entire family will be sitting down together is comforting and enhances appetite. Breakfast is another great time for a family meal, especially since children who eat breakfast tend to do better in school.

• Cook more meals at home. Eating home cooked meals is healthier for the whole family and sets a great example for children about the importance of food. Restaurant meals tend to have more fat, sugar, and salt. Save dining out for special occasions.

• Get children involved. Children enjoy helping adults to shop for food stuffs, selecting what goes in their lunch box, and preparing dinner. It's also a chance for you to teach them about the nutritional values of different foods, and (for older children) how to read food labels.

• Make a variety of healthy snacks available instead of empty calorie snacks. Keep plenty of fruits, vegetables, whole grain snacks, and healthy beverages (water, milk, pure fruit juice) around and easily accessible so children become used to reaching for healthy snacks instead of empty calorie snacks like juice, chips, or cookies.

• Limit fat intake. By avoiding fried foods and choosing healthier cooking methods, such as broiling, grilling, roasting, and steaming. Choose low-fat or nonfat dairy products.

• Limit portion sizes. Don’t insist your child cleans the plate, and never use food as a reward or bribe.

LIMIT SUGAR AND SALT

One of the biggest challenges for parents is to limit the amount of sugar and salt in their children’s diets. Most parents prefer to give their children 2 packets of juice to water. Water is an essential part of a child’s nutrition, so parents should cut down on the juice boxes and encourage the children to drink plenty of water.

It is recommended that sugar intake for children be limited to 3 teaspoons (12 grams) a day. Cutting back on candy and cookies is only part of the solution. Large amounts of added sugar can also be hidden in foods such as bread, ketchup, and fast food.

• Don’t ban sweets entirely. Having a no sweets rule is an invitation for cravings and overindulging when given the chance.

• Give recipes a makeover. Many recipes taste just as good with less sugar.

• Avoid sugary drinks. One 12-oz soda(that is 1 and a half cups of juice) has about 10 teaspoons of sugar in it, more than three times the daily recommended limit for children! Try adding a splash of fruit juice to sparkling water instead.

• Cut down on processed foods, such as white bread and cakes, which cause blood sugar to go up and down, and can leave kids tired and sapped of energy.

• Create your own popsicles and frozen treats. Freeze 100% fruit juice in an ice-cube tray with plastic spoons as popsicle handles. Or try freezing grapes, berries, banana pieces, or peach slices, then topping with a little chocolate sauce or whipped cream for an amazing treat.

I look forward to great results as our children begin to eat healthy! A healthy lifestyle begins with a proper diet. Healthy eating is important for the proper formation of bones, teeth, muscle and a healthy heart. Diet can affect growth and development in small children as well as teens. Childhood obesity is on the rise, and by promoting a healthy diet, children can maintain a healthy weight and stay healthy as they grow into young adults.

I will be listing out the different food types and their nutritional values in the next post!

Thanks a lot Vivian for inspiring this write up!