Eating habits that are well developed by children should be encouraged by parents or guardians in order to ensure right growth, food balance and to avoid some diseases. However, due to the easy access of processed and junk foods with attractive cartoons characters mostly targeted at children, making children take healthy foods might be a herculean task for the parents. Below are some useful steps on how to ensure your children are taking healthy meals with some recipes they would like to eat at home.
Healthy eating has become an essential aspect of our lives, and there is no doubt that it needs to be encouraged to the best of our abilities.
- Lead by example. This is a fact that has been proved that children have a tendency to emulate what they observe at home concerning taking of foods. The behavior of parents tends to influence the behavior of children; if parents eat large amounts of good food, children are sure to do the same. Do not be very rigid with your child, especially when it comes to eating habits, by telling them not to do something that you, yourself, do.
- Go grocery shopping together. Taking kids to the supermarket helps them to learn what foods are healthy and take them to help them make the right choices by taking them through fruits, vegetables, whole grain and lean proteins. Allow them to assist in selecting new, healthy foods and recipes to be introduced at home.
- Allow them to participate in planning for meals and also engaging in the process of preparing the meals. When children are involved in deciding what foods should be taken in a particular week, where to shop for the food and how the food should be prepared, it becomes easier to get them to make the right choices. Assign them to do such tasks as washing vegetables or stirring the food items in the process of preparation.
- Do not restrict foods. This is because when you try to eliminate sugary or fatty foods from your diet, for instance, they will only make them even alluring. It is, however, important to take things in moderation and balance. Do permit snacks which are occasionally but should not be considered in place of healthy foods.
- Make it fun. This is fun work, especially when you slice fruits such as bananas, apples, oranges, and pineapples into small round circles using cookie cutters. Make veggie faces using vegetables such as carrots, bell peppers, and cucumbers and organize them in a pattern where each vegetable represents a face. Explore healthy ingredients to “dress” plates. The kill it with powder should be made to interest and be fun when making eating healthy games.
- Encourage exploration. Suggest the selection of the healthy foods, which are unfamiliar for the students and also ethnic foods. Encourage the child when he/she is hesitant to continue eating by congratulating him/her for attempting to take new healthy foods rather than scold him/her for not enjoying certain foods.
- It is equally important not to spend a lot of time on the television or computer during meal time. TV, mobile phones and iPads can be a hindrance when used during mealtimes. The emphasis should be put on the food that has been cooked together with the company of friends or family members.
- Be patient. From this research, it was discovered that, it may even take up to 13 attempts before children agree to accept new foods. Offer them food but do not pressure them into eating it; next time, present the items they turned down before serving those they like.
- It is important that if one is a food lover, he should set a good example when going out for meals. Select restaurants that at least include healthier menu choices on their food menus. Teach them how to make smart food choices when ordering from a restaurant, like choosing grilled over fried foods.
- Incorporate nutrition lessons. Explain to children about the necessity of taking healthy foods into their body system. Basically, it is just as simple as explaining that it is better to fill one’s stomach with good food than with junk food.
Kid-Friendly Healthy Recipes
Breakfast Banana Split
Ingredients:
1 banana, sliced lengthwise
¼ cup nonfat vanilla yogurt and ¼ cup nonfat vanilla yogurt
1⁄4 cup berries
1 Tbsp. unsalted nuts, chopped
1 Tbsp. unsalted nut butter
Cut the top third off of a banana and fill it with yogurt, berries, nuts, and nut butter for a sweet and healthy breakfast.
Chicken Veggie Wraps
Ingredients:
4 (10 inch) ~whole wheat tortillas
1 lb. cooked chicken breast, chopped
1 cup shredded carrots
1 cup sliced cucumber
1/2 cup of the cheddar cheese, grated
Ranch dressing (for serving)
Incorporate a layer of tortillas followed by chicken, carrots, cucumbers, and cheese. Roll into wraps. It is best accompanied with ranch dressing to accompany or dip the dish in.
Tuna Salad Sandwich Skewers
Ingredients:
I will be using 1 can of 5 ounces of tuna that has been drained.
2 Tbsp. mayonnaise
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
1 stalk celery, diced
4 slices of whole grain bread, with only the outer rims cut off and chopped.
12 cherry tomatoes
Stir tuna, mayo, lemon juice and celery. Place a piece of thread tuna mixture in between bread cubes and cherry tomatoes on skewers. Serve chilled.
Pizza Potato Skin Snacks
Ingredients:
3 Russet potatoes, cooked with their skin on.
1⁄4 cup pasta sauce
1 cup of shredded part skim mozzarella
Toppings: Cut up vegetables soft-cooked chicken and pieces of turkey bacon crumbles
Cut potatoes in half. Scrape out interiors, leaving about ¼ inch of potato to inside skin. Spread brush or spoon sauce on inside area. Put on top of the pizza with cheese and other ingredients. Broil until cheese melts.
Hopefully, these tips and recipes may help you get some ideas that you think is worth to share with the kids! It may not be very difficult or require major changes to make small alterations and include healthy foods into everyone’s diet. Do not rush, set the pace and make it a fun time for the whole family to do it. But in the long run the good food habits will remain and you will be leading a healthy life.