When it comes to healthy eating & food preferences, school children may fall anywhere in this broad range of the spectrum. Some children may still be picky eaters as they were during their pre-school while some might have picked up the pace & matured to become courageous with their eating habits, trying everything that comes their way. But, no matter what variety of eating habits your children have taken over, you can help them develop their preferences towards nutritious food by guiding them towards healthy eating habits & a healthy lifestyle.
One of the most critical aspects of healthy eating is helping control and cutting fat and sugar consumption in food to optimal levels. A simple way to decrease fat intake in your child’s diet & promote a healthy weight include the following:
a) Non-fat dairy products
b) Whole grain bread/cereals
c) Healthy snacks like fruits & vegetables
Also, scale back the amount of sweetened drinks & salt in your child’s diet. If you are uncertain of what kind of diet or what kind of meals you should prepare for your child, consult a dietician for nutrition counselling. There are many approaches that you can take to develop healthy ways for children, which are as follows:
- Don’t Dictate But Guide The Food Choices:
Make a wide assortment of healthful food available in the house. This will help your children to make healthy food options themselves. Leave all the unhealthy & junk food like soda, aerated drinks, canned juices, etc. from your shelves. Instead, promote fresh fruit juices or water the most!
2. Always Tell Your Child To Eat Slowly:
A child can detect hunger great when they eat slowly. Before offering a second helping to the child, always ask them to wait for about 15 minutes to see if they really are hungry. This will ultimately give their brain time to register fullness. Also, forever try to reduce the portion of the second serving & load it with more veggies. Is one of the most basic healthy Habits For Students to have.
3. Eat Meals Together As Often As Possible:
Eating meals together regularly should be about fun & discussing the day. Always make sure that you don’t finish up arguing or scolding on the table since the child will forever try to complete the meal quickly and run away. Mealtimes should always be kind. Children should never compare mealtime with stress.
4. Plan For Snack Time:
Continuously snacking may start overeating. Snacks that are planned at specific times throughout the day can be a part of the nutritious diet, without interfering with a child’s appetite at mealtimes. Nutritious snacks should always have a surplus of healthy and a bit of junk (occasionally).
5. Family Goals Are A Must:
Always restrict desserts & sodas to weekends. After all, everyone deserves to cheat one in a while, right? Also, make sure that everyone is well-hydrated during dinner time.
6. Avoid The Allure Of Bribes:
We should never withhold food from kids and never should use food as a bargain to receive them to eat fruits or vegetables. When we do this, it sends the wrong message to them & it can implant negative thoughts about healthy food.
7. Pay Attention To Portion Size & Ingredients:
Make it a habit to regularly read food labels and limit foods with trans fat. Also, make sure that you serve food as per the part indicated on the label.
