Childhood obesity figures continue to rise. Every day doctors diagnose children with health conditions that are usually reserved for adults. More and more parents are searching for ways to avoid these unhealthy trends.
Where’s the best place to start? The daily diet, of course!
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It may seem daunting, but children are adaptable by nature. That fact actually makes your job easier. If you make small changes and gradually help them become accustomed to eating healthier, you’ll see their willingness to make healthy choices when it is time to eat. Start with these five simple tips.
1. Lead by example.
Children adopt the habits their parents and caregivers display. It is a survival skill ingrained in our DNA so it applies to good and bad habits. They learn by observing and imitating what you do. It is a guarantee that your child notices when you are on their case to finish their broccoli, but have eaten none of your own. Assuming you eat a healthy diet, your children can eat what you eat.
2. Get them involved.
Even children as young as two years old can be part of the process. Use pictures of vegetables to have them choose between carrots or broccoli as tonight’s dinner side dish. Ask pre-schoolers to name vegetables starting with a particular letter and then include it in their next meal. Young ones getting used to writing can help make a grocery list. Older children can handle a simple explanation of the motivation behind eating wholesome natural foods. Your child admires and looks up to you already, so talk about why eating healthy is important to you. Don’t quote doctors or nutritionists or some article you read, apply the lessons to you.
3. Be sneaky AND honest.
Resort to covert ops where necessary. Sneaking healthy stuff into foods your child is already accustomed to eating may not be honest, but it works. If they only eat grilled cheeses for lunch – play on that strength. Use only organic, hormone free cheese on whole grain bread. If they’re addicted to pizza, puree vegetables into the sauce. These minor changes will expand the child’s palate and get them accustomed to the flavors of different foods. Once they’ve accepted the food a few times, you can “come clean” and say, you know that pizza sauce you liked so much? It actually has broccoli in it!
4. Trash the “Kid’s Menu”.
Most restaurants today offer a kid’s menu. Typically there are 4 or 5 items on that menu – none of which are healthy choices for anyone. Grilled cheese, chicken fingers, hot dogs and cheeseburgers top the list along with either macaroni and cheese or pizza and of course french fries. These “helpful” shortened menus are conceived under the misconception that children will only eat certain foods. Don’t even consider these items. Most restaurant portions are huge these days, so you can just split your meal with your child. You can also ask the chef to grill a piece of chicken breast and combine with a side salad for a healthy choice.
5. Ditch labels and rewards.
Never ever refer to a child as a “picky eater”. It is okay if they don’t like certain foods – but if you focus on it, they’ll dig in their heels on it. You want them to try new things occasionally and you’ll want to be able to offer that food once in a while. Rewarding children with stickers or treats or toys if they eat healthy food is also a no-no. Food needs to just be food without any other attachment. “Eat all your dinner or no TV” adds no value because TV watching and food are not connected. Reward systems diminish the value of food – rather than make it worth more because the child is focused on the reward rather than the food itself.
Successfully transitioning your child to eating healthier requires patience and a strong commitment from you the parent. Stay focused on the idea that kids can eat any food and enjoy it. Baby steps get on the bus, so give it time, allow for setbacks and get the whole family involved. You are investing in your child’s future health; it is worth all the hard work.
Tips to get kids to eat healthier was originally published at FoodServiceWarehouse.com, republished with permission.
Amara
Amara Wagner is a Holistic Health Coach and the founder of Amara Wellness LLC. She coaches families all over the country who are “sick and tired of feeling sick and tired,” to make small, gradual changes in diet and lifestyle. Amara is a graduate of the Institute for Integrative Nutrition and is accredited by the American Association of Drugless Practitioners.
I love your suggestions. I've always wondered why kids always seem to eat the same five things, no matter where they are – at home, in restaurants, etc: Peanut butter and Jelly, fried chicken tenders, burger and fries, grilled cheese, or pizza – those are like the five staple kids menu items (am I missing anything?) Feed your children more fruits and vegetables, and organic food, and they'll develop those habits at a young age. I also highly agree with not using rewards to get them to eat healthy. You want it to take place naturally. And rewarding them will make them only eat certain foods when they know there's a prize involved. Even worse, punishing them (I've seen that happen as well) for not eating something they don't like, can lead to resentment and rebellion at a later age. In their teenage years, when they're old enough to drive to McDonalds, they'll do so just because they weren't allowed to when they were younger. So I think moderating healthy food with a few "treats" every once in a blue moon might be okay – maybe even beneficial. But you're the expert in nutrition, so what are your thoughts on that? Great post!
We have treats in our house and yes, I absolutely think it's a part of a healthy lifestyle. Although, I try to be careful about how I present the idea of "treat". My four year old now understands that it is a "treat" because we don't get to have it that often (just as getting to go ice-skating is also a "treatæ). We talk about how we choose different foods to eat more often because they are better for our bodies. That said, my four year old knows the brownie recipe by heart!
I agree with the idea of not ordering off of the childrens' menu. We walked out of a restaurant because they wouldn't swap out something healthy for the side of fries offered. Oddly enought, the same swap was available on the regular menu. We now each share an adult meal with one of our kids since they are usually the appropriate size for at least two servings. Great info. Keep it coming!
I used to work as a nanny when I was in College, and one thing I always noticed is the weird eating habits of the kids. I worked with children between the age of 3-7, and every night their parents would ask them what they would like to eat. Of course, the typical meals then included Chicken nuggets, Mac &Cheese, Pizza, French Fries and so on. So every night I would prepare something for the children while their parents cooked vegetable pasta or other healthy meals for themselves. I could never understand why they didn't feed their children the same meals. How are children supposed to learn how to eat healthy when they are raised to chose their own "kid" meals that usually aren't half as nutritious as they are suppose to be.
I also remember not liking certain types of food as a child, but my mother made me eat them at least in moderation because they were healthy and necessary for a balanced nutrition. With hindsight, I appreciate her doing that because I learned what it means to eat healthy and balance my nutrition.
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