As parents, our minds are preoccupied with plenty of thoughts daily. For one, we worry about providing for our family and saving for our kids’ future. At other times, we focus on their academics and other achievements. We also worry about their character development and how they interact socially with their peers. However, no matter how we try, we may still overlook something in our children’s lives. One area that is most often overlooked by parents is that of healthy eating.
Consequences of Poor Eating Habits
If we fail to instill in our kids the habit of eating healthy, they may develop poor eating habits. These poor eating habits will be very difficult to unlearn as they grow up. Moreover, they may carry this habit into adulthood. Problems in nutritional deficiency, obesity, and over-all poor physical health may stem for their poor eating habits.
Now, how can parents cultivate healthy eating habits in their children? There are a variety of ways to do it, but we’ll just list down the ones that we think are most doable and will yield best results.
Educating Children About Nutrition
First, instead of outright controlling our children in what they eat, we can teach them about nutrition by involving them in meal preparation. If children understand how different food affects their bodies, they may be more willing to eat their greens and skip their fast food. On the other hand, if we ban them from eating chocolates and burgers, they will still find ways to get their hands of them even if we try to stop them from doing so.
Limiting Their Access To Junk Food
Next, for younger kids who only have access to whatever you get for them, it will work if you limit their access to junk food. When you do your grocery shopping, you may still take some snacks but do this in moderation. If a child grows up not being used to eating junk food, they may still eat them as they grow up, but they will still prefer healthy food if given the choice.
Offering Healthy Alternatives
This is where alternatives come in. Does your child enjoy eating chips? Opt to buy the unsalted dried vegetable chips, instead of the salty, oily potato chips. Do they like chocolates? Go for the dark chocolate with stevia. Do they like cakes and pastries? Skip that donut and bake a good carrot cake at home. Yes, the healthier options may be more expensive, but in this case, it is worth the price tag.
Creating A Positive Eating Environment
Furthermore, it helps to create a positive eating environment at home. Make your mealtimes enjoyable by sitting together as a family and having good conversations. Educate your kids instead of shaming them for their food choices.
Leading By Example
Finally, like in many instances when we teach our children, leading by example is our best strategy. Our children copy our behaviour, so whatever their eating habits are, they learned from us. If they see us eating healthily and enjoying a balanced diet, they are more likely to do the same.
Educating children about nutrition by involving them in meal preparation, limiting their access to junk food, offering them healthy alternatives, creating a positive eating environment, and leading by example are just some of the ways how we can cultivate healthy eating habits in our kids. It’s not yet too late. You can start guiding them to eat healthily today.