Healthy Eating Habits

Healthy Eating Habits for Children

It is essential we teach our children how to eat properly; to help them avoid falling into food pitfalls and traps which can lead to the child becoming overweight or obese.  It is important to speak with our children about food choices in order to open the lines of communication and allow us to help our children choose their foods wisely.

Tips to healthy eating

• Children look up to their parents and caregivers and will learn from example so take time to interact with your child through cooking, grocery shopping and eating together.
• Not all children will like the same food so change things up and serve a variety of foods, let them choose a different vegetable or fruit to try and change the way in which the food is served.
• Have them try something new in small bit size servings to introduce them to new healthy foods.
• Teach your children how to recognize when they are full and when they should stop eating.
• Decide on a time to eat breakfast, lunch and dinner as stick to this schedule as close as possible.
• Teach them to fill their plate with healthy portioned amounts of food using the My Plate model.
• Encourage children to ask questions about where their food comes from and how it is processed or made.

(ChooseMyPlate.gov, n.d)

Knowledge is a key component to helping our children choose their food and meals wisely. 

Knowledge is Power!

Reference

ChooseMyPlate.gov. (n.d.). Develop Healthy Eating Habits Retrieved from http://www.choosemyplate.gov/preschoolers/healthy-habits/know-when-they-had-enough.html