Kids healthy eating habits

Healthy Eating (for Parents) - Nemours KidsHealth

Whether you have a toddler or a teen, here are five of the best strategies to improve nutrition and encourage smart eating habits:

Have regular family meals.
Serve a variety of healthy foods and snacks.
Be a role model by eating healthy yourself.
Avoid battles over food.
Involve kids in the process.

Sure, eating well can be hard — family schedules are hectic and grab-and-go convenience food is readily available. But our tips can help make all five strategies part of your busy household.

Family Meals

Family meals are a comforting ritual for both parents and kids. Children like the predictability of family meals and parents get a chance to catch up with their kids. Kids who take part in regular family meals are also:

more likely to eat fruits, vegetables, and grains
less likely to snack on unhealthy foods
less likely to smoke, use marijuana, or drink alcohol

Also, family meals are a chance for parents to introduce kids to new foods and to be role models for healthy eating.

Teens may turn up their noses at the prospect of a family meal — not surprising because they're busy and want to be more independent. Yet studies find that teens still want their parents' advice and counsel, so use mealtime as a chance to reconnect.

You might also try these tips:

Let kids invite a friend to dinner.
Involve your child in meal planning and preparation.
Keep mealtime calm and friendly — no lectures or arguing.

What counts as a family meal? Whenever you and your family eat together — whether it's takeout food or a home-cooked meal with all the trimmings. Strive for nutritious food and a time when everyone can be there. This may mean eating dinner a little later to accommodate a teen who's at sports practice. It also can mean setting aside time on the weekends when it may be more convenient to gather as a group, such as for Sunday brunch.

Stock Up on Healthy Foods

Kids, especially younger ones, will eat mostly what's available at home. That's why it's important to control the supply lines — the foods that you serve for meals and have on hand for snacks.

Follow these basic guidelines:

Work fruits and vegetables into the daily routine, aiming for the goal of at least five servings a day. Be sure you serve fruit or vegetables at every meal.
Make it easy for kids to choose healthy snacks by keeping fruits and vegetables on hand and ready to eat. Other good snacks include low-fat yogurt, peanut butter and celery, or whole-grain crackers and cheese.
Serve lean meats and other good sources of protein, such as fish, eggs, beans, and nuts.
Choose whole-grain breads and cereals so kids get more fiber.
Limit fat intake by avoiding fried foods and choosing healthier cooking methods, such as broiling, grilling, roasting, and steaming. Choose low-fat or nonfat dairy products.
Limit fast food and low-nutrient snacks, such as chips and candy. But don't completely ban favorite snacks from your home. Instead, make them "once-in-a-while" foods, so kids don't feel deprived.
Limit sugary drinks, such as soda and fruit-flavored drinks. Serve water and low-fat milk instead.

Be a Role Model

The best way for you to encourage healthy eating is to eat well yourself. Kids will follow the lead of the adults they see every day. By eating fruits and vegetables and not overindulging in the less nutritious stuff, you'll be sending the right message.

Another way to be a good role model is to serve appropriate portions and not overeat. Talk about your feelings of fullness, especially with younger children. You might say, "This is delicious, but I'm full, so I'm going to stop eating." Similarly, parents who are always dieting or complaining about their bodies may foster these same negative feelings in their kids. Try to keep a positive approach about food.

Don't Battle Over Food

It's easy for food to become a source of conflict. Well-intentioned parents might find themselves bargaining or bribing kids so they eat the healthy food in front of them. A better strategy is to give kids some control, but to also limit the kind of foods available at home.

Kids should decide if they're hungry, what they will eat from the foods served, and when they're full. Parents control which foods are available to their kids, both at mealtime and between meals. Here are some guidelines to follow:

Establish a predictable schedule of meals and snacks. It's OK to choose not to eat when both parents and kids know when to expect the next meal or snack.
Don't force kids to clean their plates. Doing so teaches kids to override feelings of fullness.
Don't bribe or reward kids with food. Avoid using dessert as the prize for eating the meal.
Don't use food as a way of showing love. When you want to show love, give kids a hug, some of your time, or praise.

Get Kids Involved

Most kids will enjoy deciding what to make for dinner. Talk to them about making choices and planning a balanced meal. Some might even want to help shop for ingredients and prepare the meal. At the store, teach kids to check out food labels to begin understanding what to look for.

In the kitchen, select age-appropriate tasks so kids can play a part without getting injured or feeling overwhelmed. And at the end of the meal, don't forget to praise the chef.

School lunches can be another learning lesson for kids. More important, if you can get them thinking about what they eat for lunch, you might be able to help them make positive changes. Brainstorm about what kinds of foods they'd like for lunch or go to the grocery store to shop together for healthy, packable foods.

There's another important reason why kids should be involved: It can help prepare them to make good decisions on their own about the foods they want to eat. That's not to say they'll suddenly want a salad instead of french fries, but the mealtime habits you help create now can lead to a lifetime of healthier choices.

Check out some healthy recipes for kids of all ages.

Healthy Eating for Kids – Cleveland Clinic

You’ve probably heard the old adage, “You are what you eat.” While your child isn’t going to literally morph into a fruit salad or a loaf of garlic bread, the food choices they make (and that you make for them) have a very literal impact on their bodies.

Poor eating habits in childhood can follow your kids well into adulthood, causing health issues and difficult relationships with food. By teaching kids about food that’s good for their health when they’re little, you can set them up for a lifetime of wellness.

“It’s never too soon to start teaching kids good eating habits,” says pediatric dietitian Diana Schnee, MS, RD, CSP, LD.

Healthy eating habits and tips

Food serves a lot of purposes. It can be tasty, fun and culturally important, and eating with loved ones provides opportunities for bonding and togetherness. But food is also science. And kids need healthy foods — full of the right vitamins and minerals — in the right amounts, to help them grow.

“Food is the first type of medicine,” adds pediatric cardiologist Christina Fink, MD. “Kids need good nutrition to live, grow and be healthy. But inadequate or improper types of nutrition can lead to childhood obesity, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, prediabetes and further issues once in adulthood.”

These tips can help you teach your kids eating habits that will equip them for a healthy future and a positive relationship with food.

1. Set family meal times

Kids thrive on routines, so try to eat together as a family and serve meals and snacks around the same time every day if possible. This way, kids are less likely to graze and overeat. It’s also a good time to teach them healthy eating habits and table manners.

“Eating as a family is good for social, emotional and developmental purposes, and having meals together is an opportunity to teach kids about portions,” Dr. Fink says. “For example, you can show them that half our plates should be non-starchy vegetables and some fruit.”

Limit meals to a reasonable length of time, no longer than 30 minutes. You can even set a timer to reinforce this expectation and help kids stay focused during meals.

2. Embrace breakfast

Is breakfast really the most important part of the day? Well, they’re all pretty important — but eating a healthy breakfast gives your child the fuel they need to make it through the day and help them grow and develop properly.

“It doesn’t have to be a large or elaborate meal,” Dr. Fink says, “just something that’s nutritious to get their bodies going and fuel their metabolism for the day.”

Definitely don’t stress about the idea of making an elegant breakfast from scratch every morning. Instead, turn to easy, kid-friendly, dietitian-approved breakfast ideas, like whole-wheat toast with natural peanut butter or plain Greek yogurt sprinkled with a fiber-rich, low-sugar cereal and a handful of fruit.

3. Address picky eating early

It can feel nearly impossible to deal with kids’ picky eating preferences, but with intentionality and patience, you can nip it in the bud early.

Continue to offer a variety of foods during meals to encourage exploration and allow for exposure. Schnee says it’s good to let kids (even picky toddlers) choose from what’s on their plate, and it’s OK if they choose just one or two things. But don’t make separate meals for picky eaters.

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“You’re not a short-order cook,” she says. “Make a decision about what you will serve, and stick to it. If your child asks for something else, you can explain that it is not on the menu for the day but offer to prepare it another night.”

For kids who are in kindergarten and older, Dr. Fink suggests instituting a three-bite rule. “Your child should try at least three bites of a food, just to give it a chance. Even then, they will need to try the food 15 or more times before they can say they truly don’t like it,” she says. “Sometimes, it’s just trial and error to figure out their palate.”

4. Involve kids in meal planning and prep

Like the rest of us, kids love having a say in what they do, and giving them choices allows them to feel both independent and invested. Here are some ways you can allow them to participate in the creation of family meals and snacks:

Take them to the grocery store. Give them simple choices, like “Do you want to buy red apples or green apples?”
Ask them to choose a food. Occasionally let kids decide which veggie to serve for dinner. “The sense of pride they get from helping prepare the vegetable may increase their willingness to eat it,” Schnee says.
Give them small tasks. Kids can participate in age-appropriate kitchen responsibilities, like mixing ingredients, washing fruits and veggies or peeling potatoes.

5. Read the nutrition labels

Speaking of letting kids participate, you can turn your family grocery shopping trips into educational life lessons disguised as adventures (and, of course, time spent together).

“When you go to the store together, you can show them different types of foods and start teaching them how to read nutrition labels,” Dr. Fink suggests. “You can review various ingredients with them and talk about carbohydrates, sugar and fat content — all in age-appropriate ways, of course.”

6. Make water a priority

If your child’s only opportunity to drink water during the school day comes from a fleeting pass at the drinking fountain, they may be thirsty or even dehydrated when they get home — and they might not even realize it.

“When your kids get home from school, have them drink some water instead of grabbing a snack right away,” Dr. Fink recommends. “If they’re not getting enough hydration, sometimes kids think they’re hungry when they’re actually thirsty.”

7. Set limits on snacks

Snacking is practically a national pastime, but it’s not a healthy way to pass the time. To instill healthy snacking habits, try to teach your kids not to snack out of boredom.

“Snacks can be healthy and nutritious and we enjoy them because they taste good, but we shouldn’t eat just because we don’t have anything else to do,” Dr. Fink states. “Instead, fill that time with other activities that are good for growth and development.”

8. Encourage mindful eating

You know the phrase “Stop and smell the roses”? The same idea is true for food. When you take the time to enjoy the tastes, textures and sensations of your food, you begin to really appreciate the experience. This is called mindful eating.

When you give your kids a piece of an apple, you can say, for example, “Look at this pretty red color. See how crunchy it is?” This sets the tone for analyzing and appreciating food, which also helps lessen the chances of overeating. When kids are eating, and they’re already accustomed to noticing and enjoying the flavors and textures of each bite, they’re likely to eat more slowly and recognize when they’re full.

9. Abolish the “clean plate club”

Speaking of mindful eating, it’s important that all of us, even kids, learn to recognize internal hunger and fullness cues.

“Younger children, like toddlers, are very good at self-regulating,” Dr. Fink says. “They’ll eat food until they’re not hungry. Encouraging them to eat more than they’re hungry for can actually introduce a pattern of overeating.”

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So, don’t insist that kids clean their plates in order to get dessert. “There’s no magical quantity for how much they need to eat to earn dessert, but they should have made a reasonable attempt to try the meal,” Schnee adds.

10. No forbidden foods

When you make a food entirely off-limits, you risk making your child more interested in that food — and then, they’re likely to overindulge in it whenever they get the chance. Instead, take a balanced approach by encouraging smaller portions and healthier treats.

You can also model good eating habits in the treats your child sees you eat, too. For example, it’s OK to go out for ice cream, but everyone in the family can order the kiddie size, picking frozen yogurt with dark chocolate instead of sprinkles and hot fudge.

“Find ways to incorporate these foods on occasion, and your kids will have a healthier approach to them,” Schnee advises.

11. Make small but significant swaps

Eating healthy with your kids doesn’t mean you can never eat out — even at fast food restaurants. But look for opportunities to balance your unhealthy food choices with smarter, healthier ones. “Everything in moderation,” as another old saying goes.

“If you’re having something unhealthy, think about how can you counterbalance it,” Dr. Fink suggests. Look for simple, healthy swaps, like switching out French fries for apple slices, soda for milk, white bread for whole wheat and so on.

Don’t forget about physical activity

OK, OK, so this isn’t a nutrition tip. But when it comes to health, diet and exercise are inextricably linked. “Kids just aren’t as active as they were 10 or 20 years ago,” Dr. Fink says. So, it’s important to teach kids about the joy (and healthfulness) of movement.

The U. S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says that kids ages 3 to 5 need to be active throughout the day, while kids ages 6 and older need about 60 minutes of physical activity per day.

This doesn’t mean putting your kid through a cardio circuit, though. Just be sure they get moving, period — whether it’s running around outside with friends or going on bike rides with the family,

Be a good role model

If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, then parents should consider themselves seriously flattered. Your kids pick up the habits and values you model for them, so make sure you’re demonstrating ways of life that you want them to emulate.

“Being healthy as a family is so important,” Dr. Fink notes. “If you want your children to have healthy habits, then you as a parent need to take on those habits, too.”

Let your kids see you trying new cuisines, cooking meals at home, shopping for healthy foods and embracing movement and exercise.

To hear more from Dr. Fink on this topic, listen to the Health Essentials Podcast episode “How to Talk to Your Kids About Healthy Nutrition (And Why It’s Important).” New episodes of the Health Essentials Podcast publish every Wednesday.

10 ideas for developing healthy eating habits in your child

Every mother knows that feeding a small child is not as easy as it might seem at first glance, and feeding a small child with healthy food is not at all easy. Here are 10 ideas to help you develop healthy eating habits in your child.

1. Close the kitchen between meals

Breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea and dinner are the main meals. During breaks, the kitchen should be closed so that the child is not tempted to eat every half hour. As a last resort, if the child wants to eat between lunch and dinner, give him something healthy and nutritious, such as an apple or baby yogurt. nine0005

2. More vegetables

The sooner you teach your child to eat vegetables, the better. Take it with you to the supermarket - so that the child can choose the vegetables that he likes. Cook vegetables not only for lunch, but also for breakfast and dinner. The more often the child sees broccoli, carrots, spinach on the table, the sooner he will get used to the fact that vegetables are part of the daily diet.

3. All children are different

Parents who have more than one child will confirm that all children are different and their food preferences are also different. Therefore, one child will be happy to eat cabbage, while the other will not even touch it. One child will be happy to drink children's kefir, the other will prefer fermented milk or Biolact. All children are different. nine0005

See also: Baby food - 7 dairy products for young children what he eats and what he doesn't eat. Constantly telling your child what to eat and how much to eat will not necessarily lead to positive results. For some children, this can cause the opposite effect - unwillingness to eat and dislike for family feasts. nine0005

5. Family Meals Above All

Get into the habit of having breakfast, lunch and dinner as a family. After all, family feasts are not only a meal, but also a time when the family gets together to exchange the latest news and good mood. If a calm, comfortable atmosphere reigns at the family table, the child will be happy to take part in a common feast and food at the family table will be associated with positive emotions. nine0005

6. More fruit

If your child wants to eat between meals, offer fruit or a fruit dessert with baby yogurt. Make some unusual fruit salad. You can make such a salad together - for example, have your child cut the pulp of a banana or strawberries (with a plastic knife and under your supervision). The child will be interested and, of course, want to try what he has prepared.

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7. Tasting and eating are different

If you have prepared a new dish for your child or bought a new product, let him try - a little, one piece or a small spoon. If a child tries a new food, he should not eat everything. Eating a piece or a spoon is enough.

8. Ask your child what he likes

Start taking your child to the supermarket, especially the fruit and vegetable section. Ask the little helper to choose what he likes, and together cook what he chose. nine0005

9. Set the rules

And follow those rules. Be consistent. If you have set a rule, do not deviate from it even a step.

10. One family, one meal

When it comes to eating habits, children copy adults. Therefore, if you want your child to eat healthy, be an example for him. If your child sees that you love vegetables, fruits, kefir and cottage cheese, then most likely he will like these products too. nine0005

Read also: What to feed a child from the age of three - general recommendations

How to form healthy eating habits in a child

Ekaterina Ushakhina

Nutrition for children is one of the most exciting topics for parents. You may think that your child has eating problems. For example, you think that he eats almost nothing, or eats, but not at all what he needs, or eats too much (quickly, slowly), or absolutely does not know how to behave at the table. Or maybe you are lost in a sea of conflicting information and are afraid to make a mistake and feed your child something “wrong”? nine0005

According to Maria Kardakova, a certified nutritionist and mother of two children, it is more important not what the child will eat "here and now", but what he will eat when he grows up. It is much more important to form the right eating habits in a child than to strive to feed him only useful through force and resistance.

First soup, then dessert

An unhealthy diet is not only overeating, a love of fast food, sweet and starchy foods, nocturnal forays into the refrigerator, or a lack of vegetables and fruits in the diet. Constant diets and unreasonable restrictions, obsession with one's own figure, daily weighing, fear of a box of chocolates and condemnation of the diet of other adults and children - all these are also alarming calls. nine0005

To avoid future nutritional problems for your children, Maria in her book First Soup, Then Dessert advises you to follow simple rules that should be applied today.

1. Review the well-known expression: “When I eat, I am deaf and dumb.”

Gathering around the dinner table is a great opportunity to be together. It is also an opportunity to show what you can eat and how to enjoy communicating with each other. Even if, for example, only a mother has lunch with a child, she can discuss with him both the dish and the events that occurred during the day. But if you know that the child may choke or eat sloppily, let him focus on the process of eating, and postpone the conversation. Remember: now every minute of communication with a child is priceless! nine0005

Cooking with your child, having heartfelt conversations over dinner is very important for both the child and the parents. Source

2. Do not swear at the table

Try to avoid topics that cause excitement and irritation in family members (for example, unfinished homework). After all, it is overly emotional discussions that can lead to the fact that the child wants to eat alone, when no one sees, and mostly sweet and other unhealthy foods that give a feeling of comfort. nine0005

3. Don't force us to eat up

We have lost our respect for satiety. If it seems to you that the child is hungry, but at the same time is distracted from food and wants to switch to games, ask him to take the plate of food to the sink: "If you have finished eating, you can remove your plate." Usually this sentence makes the child think about his own feelings, and if he still hasn't eaten, he will prefer to stay at the table.

4. "Crying means hungry"

Following this principle may be the root cause of the need to “eat” stress in adulthood. So think twice before offering a crying/sad baby candy or even a bowl of soup.

Do not use food as a reward or to try to calm a crying baby. Source

5. Do not judge the appearance

You cannot judge a child and laugh at his appearance, saying phrases like “Look how thin, only bones. Let's eat!" This is the case when insignificant, in the opinion of the parent, words can really hurt. Such casually thrown phrases can lead to very serious consequences, which the parent hardly thinks about at the moment when they say them. nine0005

6. Do not use food as a means of manipulation

Do not punish with the absence of food or dessert for an unfulfilled task or, conversely, reward with food. Food is not a tool for control, food is what enables us to live and function.

It's a good idea not to ban sweets "once and for all", but to stop buying bags of sweets for future use, to keep them "secret" from children on the top shelves. Sweets can and should be prepared on your own, preferably with children. You can partially use whole grain flour, include dates and fruits as sweeteners. Healthy homemade cakes are always in place. nine0005

To make your child's attitude to sweets calmer, prepare sweets yourself and involve your baby in the process. Source

7. Don't talk negatively about food either

Phrases such as "Cookies are disgusting" can make a child feel guilty. You can always find a way to talk differently about the advantages of some products and the disadvantages of others. To do this, you can use games, coloring books and books with pictures of food.

If you start flavoring food by adding more sugar or flavor enhancers to feed your desire to give your child a larger portion; buy an analogue “tastier” every time the child refuses to eat a simpler and more natural option (for example, sweet yogurt instead of the usual one), give fast food (“if only he at least ate something”), the child will quickly turn into a small child and begin to reject any attempts to bring his diet back to normal. nine0005

This is what a healthy diet should look like. Illustration from the book