3 Easy Tips To Build Healthy Eating Habits For Your Child’s Future
Aug 01, 2013
Guest Post: Ink Young
Teaching healthy eating habits has never been more important than it is now. Our children are growing up in the middle of the epidemic of obesity and chronic diseases. All are preventable by learning to feed our bodies the quality nutrition it needs. It is never too early to start teaching your child about food and how different foods make them feel. You as a parent are the best person to do this, as no one knows your child better than you!
It is often confusing for moms to decide what to focus on in their child’s nutrition.
In this article I will share with you 3 simple focus areas to guarantee your child the nutrition that they need to grow healthy and at their best weight.
Here are 3 areas that have the biggest impact:
1) Go for the meals and snacks that you can control
It is impossible for us moms to control every single meal and snack that our child eats. (And we would not want that either. Eventually your child needs to be able to make better choices on their own, so learning to make them early on is great preparation for life-long healthy eating habits.) Striving for 80-90 % clean and nutritious options as part of the child’s weekly meals are great goals.
Moms can significantly improve their child’s nutrition just by offering the following:
Nutritious snacks. The nutritious snacks are NOT the ones that are advertised for our kids. For the snacks, think of single-ingredient foods such as fruits, vegetables, and nuts. When replacing snacks with more nutritious ones, do it one item at the time. For example choose not to buy crackers anymore and offer apple slices instead.
Water. Only offer water to drink and leave a juice as a special treat (if needed or not at all). The habit of drinking water will help the child to have better appetite toward the nutritious foods, reduces their risk of being overweight, and keeps the child’s teeth healthy. Having a fun reusable water bottle that goes everywhere with you will make this habit easier.
Breakfast with protein and the least amount of sugar. You may not be able to control every breakfast, but even 1 or 2 good quality breakfasts per week will make an impact! The typical breakfast foods offer very little protein and a ton of sugar, just think of pancakes, cereal, pop-tarts, Nutella, orange juice, bagels, toast, etc. Instead, think of single-ingredient foods such as eggs for protein. Eggs can be prepared ahead of time and just heated or you can make a crustless quiche to serve in those busy mornings. Protein smoothies also work to give your child a great start to their day.
Fruit and berries provide a lot of fiber and nutrition and require very little prep. Just make sure to pair them with some protein.
Note on Peanut Butter: I would encourage considering peanut butter as a fat source instead of a protein. Healthy fats are super- important for the child’s development and need to be incorporated daily into your child’s meals and snacks. For protein sources use eggs, meat, fish etc.
2) Get into the prepping mindset.
Do your best to have real, healthy food ready and eat meals at home. Take a couple hours on a Sunday to make food for the week, so it’s ready to go when you need it.
Portion out snacks like nuts and fruit ahead of time so they are ready for grab-and-go.
Finding ways to make the healthy eating behaviors easier on you, the mom will make them easier to commit to over time.
Finding ways to cut corners will help you be successful for the long term. Find go-to dinners that you can make in minutes. Use pre-cut or frozen vegetables and pre-cooked proteins. For a balanced meal in a pinch think of getting a protein (such as chicken), vegetables (such as broccoli), fruit or berries and healthy fats (avocado anyone? Yummy!). There is no one way to be prepared, so practice the way that works best for your family’s lifestyle.
Word of warning about cooking: Do not become a short order cook. Everyone eats what is served. You as a parent pick what is being served and your child determines how much they want to eat.
3) Get comfortable at setting boundaries
We all do it. We hate to say no to our kids. However, in order to teach healthy eating and moderation, the things the child loves have got to be controlled. Using Treat Strategies (set number of treats/sweet each week) or buffer foods (healthified options; such as homemade protein popsicles- see picture J) are some good tactics to keep you and your child on track.
The fact that you are controlling their treats and cheats makes it easier to stick to your healthy eating plan.
Anytime you are making changes, remember that the first couple weeks of any new routine are always the hardest. Getting over the initial hump can be tough. It is important to remember that we are making things easier for us moms in the future by sticking to our guns now. Remember that even small changes add up!
Connect with Ink and HealthyGrowingKids at www.healthygrowingkids.com
Or Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/healthygrowingkids
Twitter: https://twitter.com/inkyoung
Does the above sound great but still not sure how to implement it in your busy lifestyle?The HealthyGrowingKids Online System will help!
This online program offers the easy-to-implement strategies to make healthy living happen for busy families. And for our Momsanity readers, Ink is even giving $100 off the program when you sign up today!!
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