Children and Food: 8 Tips for Parents and Guardians

It’s no news that parents might need some help when it comes to understanding what it means to eat healthily. Some parents even get panic attacks thinking about what they should or shouldn’t give their kids. The good news is that you don’t need a degree in nutrition to raise healthy kids. Today, we bring you some pointers that can help you encourage your kids to eat right and maintain a healthy weight.

Here are 8 key rules to live by:

1. Parents control the food supply lines. You decide which foods to buy and when to serve them. Though your kids will pester you for less nutritious foods, you are in charge when deciding which foods are regularly stocked in the house. They’ll learn to eat what’s available in the cupboard and fridge at home. If their favorite snack isn’t all that nutritious, you can still buy it once in a while so they don’t feel deprived.
2. Let Them Choose. From the foods you offer, kids get to choose what they will eat or whether to eat at all. It is important that Kids need to have some say in the matter and when you provide a healthy pool for them to pick from, you help them get used to healthier food options. This may seem like a little too much freedom. But if you follow step 1, your kids will be choosing only from the foods you buy and serve.
3. Quit the “clean-plate club.” Let kids stop eating when they feel they’ve had enough. Lots of parents grew up under the clean-plate rule, but that approach doesn’t help kids listen to their own bodies when they feel full. When kids notice and respond to feelings of fullness, they’re less likely to overeat.
4. Start them young. Food preferences are often developed early in life, so it’s important that you offer variety. Likes and dislikes begin forming even when kids are babies. You may need to serve a new food a few different times for a child to accept it.
5. Drinks contribute to calories too. Sodas and other sweetened drinks add extra calories and get in the way of healthy nutrition. Water and milk are the best drinks for kids. Juice is fine when it’s 100%.  
6. Food is not love. As a parent or guardian, you need to find better ways to say “I love you.” When foods are used to reward kids or show affection, chances that they may start using food to cope with stress or other emotions are high. Offer hugs, praise, and attention instead of food treats.
7. Kids do as you do. Because these little ones are very observant, you need to be a role model and eat healthy yourself. When trying to teach good eating habits, try to set the best example possible. Choose nutritious snacks, eat at the table, and don’t skip meals.
8. Limit TV and computer time. You’ll find out that when you do, you’ll avoid mindless snacking and encourage activity. Research shows that kids who cut down on TV-watching also reduced their percentage of body fat. When TV and computer time are limited, they’ll find more active things to do.

Don’t forget that we are always happy to hear from you, if you have questions, you can use our contact page or book an appointment to see one of our Pediatricians.