As children get older, it’s important to help them healthy eating habits. Whether packing lunch, grabbing a snack after school, or ordering dinner in a restaurant, there are many opportunities for kids to control what goes into their bodies. Here are five tips to help you teach your child how to make nutritious choices.
Eat the rainbow
- Encourage your child to build a plate that has an abundance of color from a variety of fruits and vegetables. A fun way to do this is to make edible art with your child! For example, create a forest scene using broccoli for the trees, an orange slice for the sun, sliced blueberries for a lake, and cauliflower florets for clouds.
Try new things
- There are so many types of healthy foods and ways to prepare them, so you can create an endless variety of delicious and balanced meals. If you want your child to become an adventurous eater, then try setting an example by bring home new foods for your family to explore, or going out to visit restaurants that serve food that’s different than what you usually eat. Applaud your children for trying new foods, even if they don’t end up liking it, so that they’ll have the confidence to take more culinary risks in the future.
Go for fresh, unprocessed foods
- To get the biggest health benefits, the food your child eats should resemble how it looks in nature. Sometimes it can be tough to convince children to add a slice of tomato to a hamburger instead of a squirt of ketchup. One suggestion is to bring your children with you to the grocery store because children are often more excited to eat produce that they picked. And if you want to take the “picking” even further, find a local farm with a pick-your-own program or start your own backyard garden so that children can actually harvest some of the food that they will eat.
Stay hydrated
- According to a study by Queens College, kids’ bodies need at least five to eight glasses a day to function properly, and even more than than if they’re extremely active. If you say “water” and your kids only think about jumping in the pool, maybe fruit-infused water will get them excited. Make a pitcher of ice water and add slices of fresh fruit, like strawberries, peaches, or watermelon, to put some fun flavor into drinking water.
rethink dessert
- So, you’ve taken your child to the farmer’s market and had them pick some veggies that you used in a new recipe for a colorful meal, which you served alongside a glass of blackberry lime water. Impressive work! To add the cherry on top steer away from ice cream and cookies and offer a dessert satisfies the sweet tooth in a healthier way. Options like baked apples with a dollop of whipped cream, frozen bananas dipped in chocolate, or a yogurt parfait provide a sweet treat and some health benefits.
Children today have so many options when it comes to what they eat, and a little guidance from you can show them that eating healthy can be fun and delicious!