It goes without saying that children are the hardest to feed. Quite known as picky eaters, kids are more likely to choose bright-colored Foods, most of them loaded with sugar – if not, then salty junk food is the next choice. However, parents always have the choice and should have the last say when it comes to their kids’ food choices, which is why it is important to train them with healthy eating habits while young.
While children are allowed to indulge in food items that don’t exactly count as healthy, it is important to instill in them the importance of nutrition and how it can affect them in the latter years of their lives. Of course, good conduct always start at home, so here are some simple ways and the habits that your kids should start following.
Don’t ever skip breakfast
A sad fact about adult life is that we tend to skip breakfast due to the hectic nature of life in general, especially these days. If you are guilty of doing so, why don’t you start eating breakfast yourself so that your kids can follow suit?
Various studies have concluded that children who miss breakfast, long hailed the most important meal of the day, are at major risk of malnutrition. Besides providing energy, breakfast foods are good sources of important nutrients such as calcium, iron, and B vitamins as well as protein and fiber. The body needs these essential nutrients and research shows that if these are missed at breakfast, they are less likely to be compensated for later in the day.
Snack on fruits
Convincing children to eat fruits won’t be so hard to a parent if fruits are a fixture in the household. While there may be other and more attractive options for snacks, make fruits more available – meaning, only pack on processed munchies once in a while.
What’s great about fresh fruits is that they can be transformed into desserts, shakes, juices, or jams. Get creative or take cues from the internet to get the best recipes.
Encourage greens
The battle between children and a plate of peas is as old as time. But you can always start sneaking in pieces of vegetables to everyday meals first. However, this should just be a temporary trick, as it’s important for children to learn the habit of eating vegetables eventually.
For kids old enough to assist parents with small household chores, they can be your little helpers in the kitchen. If you get your child involved in planning and cooking family meals with vegetables, he's more likely to want to eat the vegetables he's helped prepared.
It’s important to consider that parental attitudes may, in some cases, exacerbate the problem. Children watch and imitate adults. It is how they learn. If a child doesn’t see adults enthusiastically tucking into vegetables then he or she is unlikely to take to them.