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Healthy eating habits may be a trendy issue, but the emphasis is on young adults and the older generation. Meanwhile, an unhealthy eating lifestyle mostly starts at an early age. So, it is important that we teach healthy eating habits to the younger generation.
Poor health caused by unhealthy eating habits in childhood can continue into adulthood and put your child at risk for several chronic health conditions. For example, children with unhealthy weight gain can become depressed and have a poor self-image and low self-esteem.
Check out these healthy eating habits that can benefit your children:
1. Help them make healthy food choices instead of commanding them. Make it your goal to have a variety of nutritious foods available at home. This practice will help your children learn how to make healthy food choices.
For instance, instead of serving meals with soda, try serving meals with water or fresh homemade juice.
2. Avoid eating out too often. With a busy work schedule, taking care of kids, and a home, it seems almost impossible to cook often.
But make it a priority to cook at home as much as possible, so you don’t have to worry about what goes into the food.
It also helps to build a good habit of cooking at home for the kids, so they don’t grow up with the habit of picking up fast food or always eating out.
3. Shop and cook with them. Take your children along when shopping for groceries. Teach them the benefits of having healthy food options. These actions give them a perfect opportunity to learn about healthy nutrition.
Not only will this give them a sense of achievement, but also, they are generally more willing to eat foods that they help prepare.
4. Have meals together as a family regularly. Always make it a point to eat with your kids at least once a day. Use that time to have friendly conversations.
5. Try not to use food as a punishment. Avoid punishing your children by denying food from them. This can lead your children to fear that they will not get sufficient food.
In effect, you then cause them to worry, and your children may try to eat whenever they get an opportunity — leading to unhealthy relationships with food.
6. Plan for balanced food outside of the home. Know the meal plan at school for your kid. Find out if they can have a healthy option or pack their lunch and include a variety of foods. Also, select more healthy items when you do eat out.
7. Avoid eating while watching TV. Watching TV while eating slows the metabolic rate, causing the food to digest slowly and fat to burn slowly. Eating while watching tv makes it difficult to pay attention to feelings of fullness and may lead to overeating.
If your child eats while watching television, this may cause the child to have low metabolism. Try to eat only in the dining room or kitchen.
These healthy eating habits will positively affect your children’s health and lifestyle throughout their adult life.
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