A Fun and Healthy Diet for Growing Kids

Have you been wondering what food is best for your children to give them adequate nutrition and also help them maintain a healthy body? Many parents are confused on how to keep their children healthy especially in the last decade where the number of obese children is growing in alarming rates. Here are some guidelines and ideas for parents.

Start when they are still young

Well as we know children are quite picky eaters. An encouragement to children to open their tastes for healthy foods will definitely open a lifetime of good eating habits for them.

Add healthy foods

Since they know which foods they usually love to eat, you can add more healthy choices for them. You can add extra lettuce, avocados, spinach, and tomatoes to their sandwiches or burgers. A gradual and small change would be effective to avoid having a ‘vegetable shock’. Finding out what they want and what food they like and prepare that in a healthier way is the way to go.

Finding alternatives

Proposing an alternative healthy food for their favorite meals is another thing you can do, for example offering them baked potato instead of fried. Preparing foods differently would allow them to eat the same food but with less fats, grease and calories. Identify diets and other healthy foods and let your children choose what they want from the list.

Be unpredictable

Monotonous meals would bore the kids. You should try and propose a variety of meals with different cooking methods and recipes. One technique to use is preparing ethnic cuisine to your kids; this would even become an educational area for them.

Have fun

Allow them to have fun while eating. You can allow them to make a song of what they eat, or make stories of their foods. Even a game in regards to ingredients would be good. Just make sure you have included healthy food items on their meals.

Let them watch you prepare the food

As curious as they are, they would love to see who prepared their foods and at times they even want to help in the food preparation. You can actually invite them to assist by letting them do simple tasks like “hand me this and that”. This interaction with food preparation will not only be fun but will also make them to love the food they thought they prepared.

Limits

Start disciplining your children with their meals. You can limit kids on how much they should eat or bite before they stop eating or decide whether or not they like the food. Give them freedom in how much they want to put in their plate and agree on consuming all their food before leaving the table.

Eat with them

Eating together with your kids would actually yield better results for discipline and for their eating pattern. Connect with them during lunch and dinner and encourage them to share their thoughts regarding their day. Also make them understand that you are enjoying the nutritious foods you have prepared and that you like eating together.

Chris writes about healthy weight loss topics. As a parent he can understand the importance of healthy eating for your children.

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