Teaching Kids About Good Nutrition
Kids basically eat when they are hungry and dine on whatever they are served or enjoy the most. Thoughts about nutrition and making healthy choices are not usually on kids’ minds, especially the younger ones. While we want our kids to enjoy food and not worry about their diet too much, it’s important to teach them about proper nutrition so they can make educated choices about their intake as they get older and don’t develop poor eating habits along the way. Here are some tips to teach kids about good nutrition and how they can pick nutritious foods they’ll like to eat.
Lots of Veggies and Fruits
It’s so important for us to eat a wide variety of fruits and vegetables as part of a wholesome diet. Fruits and veggies are chock full of vitamins, fiber, and other body building good stuff. Teach your kids to start their meals with a healthy salad with a range of veggies or to choose a healthy veggie as a side dish rather than something fried or otherwise less healthy. Fruits are sweet and delicious and taste just as great as cookies and cakes. Get your kids hooked on the fresh sweets provided by nature rather than processed and pre-packaged junk. Once kids develop a taste for natural foods, they won’t miss the artificial stuff. You can also mix veggies and fruits into existing recipes to show your kids how great they taste in a variety of dishes.
Eat Slowly and Stop When You’re Full
Even if the food they’re eating is good for them, eating too quickly or mindlessly is a bad habit. Encourage your kids to chew slowly and savor every bite. They’ll know when they’ve had enough and won’t overstuff themselves. It takes a while for the brain to know the stomach is full, and eating too fast doesn’t let the brain tell us we’ve had enough until it’s too late. It’s important to eat slowly so each bite is properly digested and nutrients are absorbed well.
Go Natural
Natural and organic food choices always beat the processed items at the grocery store. Teach your kids about clean eating and show them the difference. They won’t know unless you give them the information. Of course, a special treat now and then won’t ruin anyone’s overall diet, it’s all about maintaining a general healthy eating plan. Go for fresh produce, whole grain breads, grass fed meats, etc. Hit up the local farmer’s market or a natural food store when you can for the freshest, closest-to-nature options.
How do you teach your kids about good nutrition and healthy eating habits? For more information like this, please visit All My Children Daycare’s blogs.
By: Melissa A. Kay
