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"How can I change my family's bad eating habits for the better?" Well, take a gander at what helpguide.org has to say about nutrition for children and teens! Help Guide is a great resource to help resolve many health issues, but today I want to talk about their article on nutrition.
Good eating habits are instilled throughout childhood and adolescence. The foods you eat when you are young influences what types of eating habits you will have as an adult, and as parents, it is your job to try to instill good eating habits now. Why is this necessary? Well, in simplest terms, food is medicine. What we put into our bodies affects everything from how we function on a daily basis to what diseases we may get and how we can combat them. To read more about food as medicine, go to this website here.
So, how does helpguide.org say you can promote healthy childhood eating?
So there you have it! Obviously this is not an all-inclusive list, but following these simple tips can get your family on it's way to healthier eating habits! Check out the full article and learn more about how to get a picky child to enjoy a wider variety of foods, how to persuade children to eat more fruits and vegetables, how to limit sugar and salt, hot to avoid foods that impair mood, healthy eating for toddlers, young children, school-age children, and teenagers, and how to limit junk food.
Happy eating!
- Miss. Wilson
Good eating habits are instilled throughout childhood and adolescence. The foods you eat when you are young influences what types of eating habits you will have as an adult, and as parents, it is your job to try to instill good eating habits now. Why is this necessary? Well, in simplest terms, food is medicine. What we put into our bodies affects everything from how we function on a daily basis to what diseases we may get and how we can combat them. To read more about food as medicine, go to this website here.
So, how does helpguide.org say you can 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 kids 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 kids about the importance of food. Restaurant meals tend to have more fat, sugar, and salt. Save dining out for special occasions.
- Get kids involved. Children enjoy helping adults to shop for groceries, 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 kids become used to reaching for healthy snacks instead of empty calorie snacks like soda, chips, or cookies.
- Limit portion sizes. Don’t insist your child cleans the plate, and never use food as a reward or bribe.
So there you have it! Obviously this is not an all-inclusive list, but following these simple tips can get your family on it's way to healthier eating habits! Check out the full article and learn more about how to get a picky child to enjoy a wider variety of foods, how to persuade children to eat more fruits and vegetables, how to limit sugar and salt, hot to avoid foods that impair mood, healthy eating for toddlers, young children, school-age children, and teenagers, and how to limit junk food.
Happy eating!
- Miss. Wilson