Developing healthy eating habits is the first step to a healthy lifestyle and prevention of obesity. This is why it is extremely important for you as the parent to set a good example.
Tips for Setting a Good Example
1. Try often to eat together as a family. Make sure to serve vegetables, fruits, whole grains, protein, and milk or substitute at meals.
A Feeding Guide
2. Try new foods whenever possible. I love preparing foods from different countries. I collect cooking books from places we’ve visited. I challenge my kids to try the typical foods of the country wherever we go. Their reward is that they get to choose their favorite souvenir.
3. Enroll your child on a cooking class or camp. My daughter, who is a very picky eater, loves to drink “the green monster smoothie” made with kale and spinach. She learned to prepare it and tried it for the first time with a group of friends at camp.
4. Avoid making negative comments about foods. It is especially important that you talk ahead of time to your older kids about this, before trying new foods.
5. Make exercise a fun activity. Pick your favorite physical activity and do it together.
Listen to my podcast (see above menu) and read the following references for more information about this topic.
References:
- For Parents: Healthy eating http://www.kidshealth.org
- Healthy Tips: Promoting Healthier Habit Tips http://www.nourishinteractive.com
- Be a healthy role model for children: Ten tips for setting good examples http://www.choosemyplate.gov
Nutrition Counseling