Throughout much of the Western world, child obesity has been an issue for quite some time. Fat and sugar laden food has become the norm in our diets and because the world of work is becoming faster all the time, shortcuts which lead to unhealthy choices, are ever more prevalent. The most common downfall of a healthier eating habit is not that some children lack the drive, but they relapse too quickly. Eating healthy has to become a lifestyle, not just a diet.
Making a schedule
Write down a schedule of the diet you and your children are going to follow. Cut out excess sugars, salt, fat, and carbs. Prolongated hunger can tempt children to make poor choices, so plan meals with intervals of 3-4 hours. Children will be less cranky and start to demand a quick energy boost of sugar.
Introduce new foods slowly
Parenting requires patience because children’s emotions are still developing as is their knowledge base in their mind. So, introduce new fruit and vegetables slowly into their diet. Rather than making it the main ingredient in a meal, it should be part of the side dish. Not only is this necessary to not overwhelm your children with something they may not like the taste of, but it also ‘fools’ their developing taste buds to accept the taste of nutrient-rich food.
Mornings are crucial
Breakfast is a chance to truly instill the routine of eating healthy. Most children refuse to eat fiber on a daily basis. Most cereals are packed with fiber, especially bran-type wheat cereals. Cut slices of apple or banana chunks dipped in brown sugar on one side and serve them mixed in the high-fiber bowl of cereal. You may also find success of including fiber in their diet, by making whole-wheat pancakes or waffles, which can be served with strawberries or a sweet pomegranate.
Break up the monotony
To avoid a relapse into unhealthy eating, reward your children for their good behavior and willingness to stick the schedule you wrote. But rather than just going out and buying them a McDonald’s happy meal, make something at home together. You can use this opportunity to bond with you kids and boost their confidence by praising them for sticking to the healthy diet. It goes without saying, that children love sweet cakes and fun candy. You can make something just like that if you visit https://cakejournal.com/tutorials/how-to-make-cake-pops/ to get the best cake pops recipe.
Teach them how
You can’t babysit them forever, one day they will be all grown and ready to fledge the nest. As a parent, you want to know that the values you have taught them, won’t be abandoned when they eventually leave home. Therefore, from a young age, you should start to teach them about cooking healthy meals.
Get them to safely cut up vegetables, mix a salad or even just squeezing out fresh juice from a variety of fruits at lunch or dinner time. They will remember the good times when mom and dad took the time to teach them how to live a clean, balanced life. By doing this, their health is sustained by themselves in the future.
