Healthy eating for your child doesn’t have to be a challenge. Making sure that the house is filled with healthy eating options for your child is crucial. For breakfast try to eliminate the sugary cereals. Instead opt to give your child whole oats, 100% whole wheat or multi-grain bread instead of white. Give your child water, milk or homemade fresh fruit juice to drink instead of fruit drink or store bought fruit juices. Every meal should contain:

1. Protein

2. Complex Carbohydrates

3. Fiber

4. Vitamins an Minerals

When your child craves a snack, give them healthy fruit and vegetables instead of chips and other junk foods. A healthy eating lifestyle has to be something that children see modeled in their parents. This makes it easier for them to adopt the lifestyle.

How Much Should My child Eat?

Children should learn to eat until they are satisfied not full. Satisfied means that the feeling of hunger is gone. At this point they could still eat if they wanted to but the feeling of hunger is gone. Healthy eating is not just about what you eat but also about how you eat. Eating until you are satisfied instead of full will help prevent over eating. Also, children should also be taught food portion control as a result of healthy eating. Teaching your child what portions of foods are appropriate will stay with them for a lifetime.

Healthy eating also entails encouraging your child to eat slowly. Digestion begins in the mouth. Thus, the slower your child eats the more the food can be broken down in the mouth before it gets to the stomach. Eating slowly also gives your child a chance to enjoy their food. The body is nutritionally benefited better from eating a smaller amount of food slowly than eating a larger amount of food fast.

Does Eating Together As A family Help In Healthy Eating? 

Try to eat meals together as a family. This aids in teaching you child healthy eating habits. It does this by giving you a chance to monitor how your child is eating and make corrections as necessary. Studies have shown that eating together as a family has a positive effect on a child. It gives the parent a chance to bond with their child. This in turn gives the child a sense of security which can induce happiness.

And happiness has a positive effect on digestion. Healthy eating encompasses many factors, but with time and effort a child can learn how to eat healthy. Healthy eating is very important in child development and teaching.

Comments

comments