What is the best way to teach our children life-long healthy eating habits so they will thrive physically, emotionally, and socially? I’ve witnessed various approaches to this dilemma that span from one extreme to the other. While some moms let their children eat anything they want, others monitor every bite and discount the simple pleasures of the occasional treat. The answer is clearly somewhere in between. Follow these 6 easy tips to guide your children towards a lifetime of healthy eating.
Get them involved.
Let younger children help with simple cooking projects like adding pre-measured ingredients, mixing, and pushing the button on the blender. Older children can help plan and prepare dishes or whole meals. The more involved they are in making it the more interested they’ll be in eating it.
Don’t buy what you don’t want them to eat.
Why create a battle by having junk food in the house that you don’t want them to eat? If it’s not there they won’t eat it… and neither will you. Alternatively, stock up on healthy treats such as frozen banana, fruit leather, and sprouted grain cinnamon toast.
Sneak it in.
Add nutrient dense foods like avocado, walnuts, or blueberries to smoothies, spinach to lasagna, or finely chopped vegetables to soup. They’ll never know what’s hiding in there.
Let them go wild once in a while.
If you are too strict it will backfire and when they’re old enough to make their own food choices they’ll head straight for the foods you’ve deemed taboo – soda, candy, and pizza. Guide your children to eat healthy, fresh foods 95% of the time and allow them to indulge (guilt-free) once in a while. Next time you’re at a birthday party let them have the juice, chips, cake, and ice cream. It’s only one day.
Capitalize on their innocence.
If they’ve never had it they don’t know what they’re missing. I’ve seen mothers giving their toddlers sips of soda. WHY?! Give your children plain water for as long as you can get away with it.
Be a positive role model.
Your children are always watching you and mirroring your habits. If you obsess about calories, sneak sweets, pick at your food without really eating, or constantly talk about body image they will, without a doubt, be effected. Creating good eating habits for yourself is essential for teaching your children to do the same.
