Teaching Kids About Nutrition and Healthy Food Choices · Dr Dad
Tags: Dads, Parenting, Pregnancy, Moms

Teaching Kids About Nutrition and Healthy Food Choices · Dr Dad Parenthood Aug 7·3 min read

It’s no surprise that children prefer unhealthy or junk food over a nutritious or balanced diet. Thus, understanding the importance of different nutrients, parents have to find means to instill interest in kids to choose healthy food. Adapting some healthy habits and following basic guidelines can assist you in doing so.

Ten things for getting children ready to eat healthy food

1. Create a healthy environment

Children choose what they see and taste all the time. If there are healthy snacks available in the fridge and cupboard at home, obviously their favorite snack would be the same. So controlling the supply lines such as bringing only the healthy foods at home can pester the children to choose them at least once or twice, whenever they go hungry.

2. Let them enjoy the process

Don’t enforce child nutrition guidelines on them, rather offer them many healthy choices to choose the meal, eating time, and quantity. Thus, they don’t feel forced, rather they enjoy it. When a kid starts understanding the body and its requirements, he/she would probably not go for everything unlike what happens in the “clean-plate club” rule. It seems unhealthy to give such freedom but the good news is they would not go beyond your nutrition chart. After their choices, schedule core meal and snack times accordingly but make sure you are fulfilling nutritional requirements for 5–7 years old.

3. Add customized taste to the nutrition

It shouldn’t be always the thing that healthy food is not tasty. It can be. If they like spicy foods, give them grilled cheese. If they like sweets, offer the same on their plate in less quantity and at the right time. Nevertheless, it is fine to go for their favorite dish occasionally to make them happy in the process of changing their habits.

4. Start from a little

When it comes to understanding how to explain nutrition to a child, their preferences should also be put forth. If they are not ready to eat, just ask them to try one bite. Perform the same steps a few different times.

5. Let children experiment with new dishes

Children are always curious to see, hear, taste, and do new things. Take advantage and fill them with curiosity before presenting the dish from the kids’ diet plan. Make something new out of many different vegetables, give exciting shapes, choose their favorite plates, and more. For example, make smiley-face pancakes, turn toast into stars, and give foods silly names.

6. Substitute their drinks

If they like sodas of mango or orange flavor, substitute the drinks with kids’ smoothie recipes. Provide them fresh juice of their favorite fruit, water, milkshakes, etc.

7. Become a role model

Undoubtedly, the child imitates what parents or other family members do at home. You are not supposed to ask your child to eat green vegetables when a packet of chips is in your hand. However, make a lot of recipes throughout the day, eat, appreciate, and feel good. This would automatically impact the child’s thought process to go for the same.

8. Indulge them in shopping for groceries and cooking dishes

When children indulge themselves in the process, they are more likely to adopt healthy habits. Take them to the kitchen and create your popsicles and frozen fruit kabobs. Bring in multiple colors and tastes of fruits to keep the cooking process exciting.

9. Eat out with kids

Eating out or going outside for any purpose always thrills the children’s interest. There, you can find healthier junk food alternatives like fresh fruit smoothies, baked chicken, baked vegetable chips, vanilla wafers, etc.

10. Cook a single meal for a full family

Some families make different dishes for different members according to their preferences. This thing can lead to bad habits for kids to get anything there from their favorites available to them anytime. However, create a disciplined environment and cook only one decided dish for all to eat.

Small habits can make a big difference. Implementing these 10 proven actions can create a different environment within a few days only.