The hardest part of parenting is making the kids eat their food, biscuits, chocolates, ice cream, chips, and other junk food gain instant access into their stomachs while healthy foods especially greens and vegetables find it hard to gain access. As modern day parents with hectic schedules it becomes really hard to make them eat healthy foods. According to a recent study healthy diet with vitamins and nutrients in the first three years of life enriches IQ where as a diet rich in fats and sugars that normally include junk and processed food lowers IQ. However we see it including fresh, home cooked food is healthier and we can impart variety in our diet by including salads, greens, vegetables, fruits, fish and so much more.
Healthy Eating Habits For Kids
So how to inculcate healthy eating habits in kids? First and foremost whenever you go shopping take the kids along and buy fresh vegetables, fruits and greens. On your way back home talk about the interesting ways of making dishes with the items you bought from shopping. Allow them to help you out in the kitchen and plan menu for the weekend family dinner. Stock up healthy foods such as dried grapes, baby carrots, roasted peanuts and healthier variety of noodles so that they can have them when they are hungry. You can be creative in including foods such as broccoli and greens in their diet. Always keep the fruits with in easy reach so the kids can help themselves if the fruits are deep down the fridge the kids are less likely to go for it.
Make it a habit for the kids to drink plenty of water and to have carbonated drinks or other fruit juices on rare occasions if possible train little kids to drink their milk without sugar and soon they will get the hang of it and reduce salt in their foods from the very beginning. Lunches can be packed in good old steel boxes instead of plastic ones. If the mother goes for work instruct the person who takes care of the child about healthy food practices. Changes cannot be made overnight but it is possible that slow and steady inclusion of these habits will result in kids who are health conscious and grow in to adult who make healthy food choices.