Teaching children the importance of a healthy lifestyle can be an unexpectedly slippery slope. It is no surprise that healthy habits start at home, and taking steps to ensure the long-term health of your child starts early. Teaching children to have pride in their nutrition—and not shame—is possible. Here are some tips to get children to not only eat healthy food, but choose it for themselves.
Set the example. If a child constantly sees Mom and Dad eating fruit for snacks and taking pride in what they put in their bodies, it reflects onto the child, and he is more likely to reach for that same item when needing a snack. Our children are always watching us, and we are the ultimate example for them.
Keep healthy food in the house. Our children can only eat what we buy for them. If we keep the house stocked with candy, chips and fattening foods, our children will be tempted, just like we adults are tempted, to reach for the unhealthy items instead of healthy items.
Do not restrict food. Restricting food gives off the notion that some foods are good and some are bad. This may increase the likelihood that the child will reach for this food or sneak this food when the parent is not around. It also may increase their risk of developing an eating disorder later in life./p>
Eat meals as a family. Research has shown that when families sit down for meals together, not only do they eat healthier, but the child is less likely to get into trouble as a teenager. It keeps lines of communication open and allows everyone to slow their eating and learn to enjoy their food.
Give your children some control. It’s no surprise that children love to have control over any situation that they can, and mealtime is no different. Let them choose which vegetable they have with dinner or, at the grocery store, find fruit that would be great to pack in their lunches. When introducing a new healthy food, let the child rate it on a scale of 1 to 5. If it receives a high rating, serve it more often; if not, serve it sparingly and let your child know that you value her opinion.
Our job as parents is to provide our child the opportunity to eat healthy food, but we cannot force him to eat it. If a child is continually refusing to eat a certain food or food group, continue to offer the food in different ways and don’t stress. Taste buds change all the time!
Jessica Heine is a labor and delivery nurse. She lives with her family in Olathe.