6 Ways to Promote Kids’ Healthy Eating Habits

Every parent’s dream is to raise healthy children. We all know at the end of the day, what we eat makes up who we are. When it comes to children, especially toddlers, getting them to eat right and healthy can be tough.

Here are 10 ways to help your child have better eating habits:

1. Don’t ban junk food completely

Junk food is unhealthy and fattening. Banning it your child child from eating it completely might just make them want it more. Once a child has tasted sweet salty fries, they will always crave it. Even adults. Pediatric psychologist Eileen Kennedy, of the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio, says that banning a specific food is a bad idea because if the food becomes available to your child outside your home, he or she might eat it despite feeling full.

2. Encourage them to eat smart at school

School is like the free zone for children of all ages. They eat what they want! For a younger child that you still have to pack lunch for, there is still a lot of help and supervision that you can give. For an adult child in the university, encourage them to eat a balanced diet, less of junk food, more of fresh foods. Every child loves Indomie, instead of eating it straight, teach them to dice some vegetables into it.

3. Avoid buying unhealthy foods in bulk

If you want to buy a treat, buy the smallest possible package of that food, instead of the economy bulk-sized package. With smaller sizes of snacks or treats, children will be less tempted to mindlessly want to snack on it. If you have to buy in bulk, keep it away from the sight and reach of children.

5. Promote fruits and veggies consumption at home

Always make sure to have one healthy item that your child likes and will eat. Cook a limited amount of the meal with starch filled dish. Make it a habit for your children to eat fruits at-least after every meal. To further entice a picky eater to try a healthy, vegetable-rich dish, let them watch you prepare it and allow them to add in some ingredients themselves under your supervision, making them have interest might improve their eating habits.6. Help them recognize when they are fullTo help your young child learn to listen to their body’s fullness cues at mealtime, remind your child to stop eating once they begin to feel full. Do not urge them to finish all the food on their plate, and do not praise them for completely clearing their plate. Nigerian parents love it when there children clear there plates at mealtime. Help them by also serving them the amounts they can finish instead of piling their plates.