Today’s families are busy. As soon as the day begins, kids and parents alike are on the run—going to work, to school and then off to after school activities. When everyone is running in different directions, it is no wonder why it is hard for children to learn to eat healthy. Out of necessity or lack of time, many parents simply run through the drive through. Hamburgers and fries every night does little to teach kids about healthy eating. While you can’t avoid quick meals all the time, you can guide your children towards healthful eating.
Provide lots of choices:
One great idea is to make sure you fill your home with plenty of choices. If you avoid buying sugar laden sweets and snacks, then your children will know that you want them to eat healthy. There are many great, and delicious snacks that your kids will enjoy besides cake and cookies. How about low fat yogurt? Put it in the freezer for a frozen treat. Smoothies made with fresh fruit and low fat milk is another great choice. For quick snacks, fill the pantry with healthy crackers, dried fruit and dry cereal that has low sugar content.
Make dinner a priority:
Send a message to your kid about the important of healthy eating and dinner time by making dinner a priority. You will not be able to have a sit down meal every night, but you should aim for three or four nights a week. If you know you are going to have a particularly busy evening, cook ahead. Put food in the crock pot or stock the refrigerator with healthy sandwich fixings. You can even pack homemade soups or wraps as you head out to the soccer fields for the evening. No fast food required.
Read the labels:
Older children are great helpers in the grocery store. They like to make their own choices and they can if you set limits. For example, teach your child to read the labels. If they want a breakfast cereal, give them the opportunity to pick it out without your help. Give them your guidelines, such as it must have less than 10 grams of sugar, and let them read the labels. This helps kids understand what is healthy and what is not. Let your children have some choice in what they eat and they will be happier with the healthier eating lifestyle. Pretty soon, your kids will want to read the labels on everything you buy.
Encourage by example:
Of course one of the best ways to guide your children to healthy eating is by setting an example yourself. Your kids will see you eating healthy and it will catch on. Don’t lecture your kids about the evils of sugar and then sneak off for a bowl of ice cream! This is the worst way to teach children about healthy eating.
As your children get older, they can start making good choices about their eating habits. Make sure they have the tools they need to make the right decisions.
News About Healthy Eating
Artist Explores Obesity And Healthy Eating (Scoop.co.nz)18 Mar 2010 at 5:24pm
New Zealand artist Amiria Gale?s latest work explores healthy eating and obesity. Her current works illustrate what she defines as ?Food? or ?Non-Food? ? the difference being crucial in achieving good health and a desirable body weight.
Hillcrest class teaches kids about healthy eating (The Wilmington Star-News)17 Mar 2010 at 3:40pm
By Chelsea Kellner Chelsea.Kellner@StarNewsOnline.com Wednesday?s class through the Community Campus at Hillcrest is part of a 10-week series geared to teach kids about healthy eating and cooking from their community garden.
Nutrition and healthy eating (Mayo Clinic)19 Mar 2010 at 12:32am
Jennifer K. Nelson, M.S., R.D., L.D., C.N.S.D. Jennifer Nelson is your link to a better diet. As specialty editor of the Food & Nutrition Center, she plays a vital role in bringing you healthy recipes and meal planning.
Caldwell Kiwanis sponsors happy, healthy kids show (The Progress)19 Mar 2010 at 6:25am
CALDWELL ? Grandparents and their grandchildren are invited by the Kiwanis Club of Caldwell-West Essex-Young Children: Priority One (YCPO) to dinner and a magic show 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Saturday, March 27 at the Masonic Lodge 8 Smull Ave. The event is geared for children 5 and younger. Through his magic, magician Ken will teach the importance of healthy eating and exercise. There is no charge but ...
Somerville, kid's cooking magazine team up to teach kids about healthy eating...19 Mar 2010 at 7:59am
Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone and Superintendent of Schools Tony Pierantozzi today announced a partnership between the City of Somerville and local cookbook author Sally Sampson, to bring a new quarterly magazine, ?ChopChop: The Fun Cooking Magazine for Families,? to the Somerville Public Schools.
Mayo Clinic Health Letter Offers Tips on Healthy Eating After Surgery -- When...19 Mar 2010 at 3:06pm
ROCHESTER, Minn.----Good nutrition, with adequate calories and protein, is important to healing and recovery after major surgery. But the stress of surgery and follow-up care can depress the appetite, alter the taste of food and make it difficult to eat and digest food, sometimes for weeks or months.
... needs a good meal to fuel the day. There are tons of things that your teen can grab and eat as they head out the door. Oatmeal bars and whole grain breakfast bars are perfect. They are usually high fiber and filling. A smoothie or shake is also an easy breakfast (and after school snack, too). Add in a ...
... or add blueberries to your salad at lunch, and make a cool refreshing fruit cup for dessert after dinner. It is easy to add fruit to snacks and meals if you think about it. Just remember to keep the skin on fruits to retain all that fiber goodness. Keep plenty of fresh fruits on hand so that family members ...
... Butter Buds, or season salt. Frozen Yogurt: Frozen yogurt is another great snack. You can get frozen yogurt in pints or gallons in all kinds of flavors, or you can make your own by freezing your favorite yogurt into pops. You can also add fruit such as strawberries or bananas for an added flavor. String ...
... preventative measures to raise livestock. In short, plants and animals that are grown organically are better for the animal, the environment and you. Disadvantages of Organic foods: Many people find that there are some disadvantages of organic foods. For one, it is more expensive. This is because it cost ...
... vegetable oil adds, you can substitute half of the applesauce for the oil. Making this simple change can save you both fat and calories. This is an easy and simple switch to make. Egg substitute for eggs: There are several brands of egg substitutes that you can use in place of eggs in many recipes. These ...