HEALTHY EATING TIPS FOR KIDS

Children are very important people in any society as they form the main pillar for future generation. The way they are brought up physically, mentally, spiritually and psychologically will account to their total well being. This calls for the need to look in to what do they need to develop healthy bodies that will enable them serve the society well. A reduction in the physical activities they undertake, coupled with eating too much chunk, in most cases explain the reason as to why there is rise in childhood obesity. As the saying goes, “Prevention is better than cure,” there are several feeding rules which could help parents raise healthy children for life.

 Parents should teach their children how to eat for healthy living. To motivate our children to eat nutritious food, parents must lead by example. By default, kids believe that their parents are the best in teaching, guidance, protection and nurturing. Avoid keeping any processed food and beverages in the fridge where kids can access in your absence. Adopt healthy eating rules and habits for all family members.

 Daily activities should be encouraged for this is just as vital as food intake. It plays a big role in the basal metabolic reaction (the breakdown of food into usable nutrients in the body system). If your children play for at least an hour or two each day, besides having less time to eat, they are least likely to develop weight issues.

 Prepare proper meal times to avoid allowing kids to keep eating continuously throughout the day. This calls for developing a proper family meal timetable that cuts across all meals in the day. Keep in mind the fact that our body requires at least 2 – 3 hours in between meals to facilitate digestion and allow the feelings of hunger and fullness to work. Once small children stop eating uncontrollably, they are less likely to reject their vegetables at dinner. At the end of the day, it will reduce their ingestion of processed, non-nutritious snacks.

 Develop eat together as a family habit. Behavior breeds behavior, kids are most likely to emulate and adopt what they see their parents doing. Studies have indicated that children who eat together with their parents regularly are considerably less likely to have weight issues.

 Minimize levels of carbohydrates intake for children. Kids should be given low carbohydrates by supplementing their breakfast with grain bread and wholegrain cereals like oats. This will moderate their eating habits in terms of maximum calorie intake in a given meal. Let them have enough to develop and sustain their bodies. Excess calories might lead to the development of weight issues/child obesity.

 By nature, children are never going to like eating vegetables which are of vital importance to their well being. Compared to sweet and starchy foods, vegetables have a comparatively bland taste, meaning that it is unlikely they will ever be a child’s first food of choice. You should provide different varieties of vegetables that they will like eating whether raw or cooked daily.

 Encourage your kids to take in a lot of water. Soft drinks and processed juice are high in sugar with little nutrition; hence they are not appropriate for children. You can buy for them fancy water bottles with best colors of their choice and encourage them to regularly drink water using them. This will have a psychological impact in their thirst for water.

 Include regular treats for your children. Total denial leads to food obsession, stealing and over-consumption. Plan for weekly treat where possible and the kids will be happy to eat healthy, balanced meals for the rest of time.

 Television in the house is another problem affecting the health of our children. Switch off the TV. Numerous studies have indicated that increased screen time on computer, TV and video games is linked to child obesity so minimize it to no more than 2 hours of screen time each day.

 Monitor your children’s growth regularly to ascertain their growth and development. Take note on any changes in the child’s development by measuring their weight every 3 months. By so doing, any notable increase in weight can be examined and managed at an early stage.

These simple rules have played an important role in maintaining a healthy lifestyle for children in developing countries. Let’s keep a healthy generation for a healthy future.