How to Raise Healthy Kids
By Sara Butler
Your kids learn by watching you. If you want to raise healthy and happy children that like to eat healthy foods, then you need to model that behavior for them. But sometimes just putting a salad in front of your kid at dinner every night isn’t enough. There are a few ways you can raise kids who are health conscious and eat right.
Get Them Excited
You have to start when they’re young to get them really excited about new foods. Don’t give them packaged or highly processed foods such as cookies, chips, and even boxed macaroni and cheese. As they get older their taste buds will develop and change, so make sure you continue to offer a wide variety of fruits and vegetables to them. Even if they don’t like them, it’s important to for them to try - and keep trying.
You can also use some other strategies to get them to try new things. If they don’t like green peppers, try adding a dip to go with them. Or get a spiralizer and make noodles from zucchini -- kids love spaghetti!
Don’t write off foods they reject right away and be creative but persistent with your offerings. You may even want to plant a small garden and get them invested in the process of growing their own food. It might help them to get excited about it and give them a better appreciation of where their food comes from.
Have Them Help
Engage your child in the kitchen with you while you’re cooking. Start by making some dishes together that are very simple. Allow your child to decide what’s going to go on the menu, then make it together. Give them choices about how to prepare the foods and put them in the driver’s seat. Kids are nothing if not tiny control freaks, so use that to your advantage!
Teach Them the Benefits
Healthy eating isn’t a concept too complicated for children to learn. In fact, it’s easy if you know where to start! Simply explain to them that eating healthy foods helps them grow into strong and healthy adults. Teach them about the nutrients they need in order to grow and the consequences of eating a lot of junk too.
Teaching your children healthy habits is an important thing that will stick with them their whole lives! So get them involved and watch them grow into healthy and happy adults!
To learn more about your health, wellness, and fitness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic in Rowlett, Tex.
