Each serving should equal one slice of whole grain bread (beware of breads with only “wheat” versus “whole wheat/ whole grain”, 1/2 cup of rice or 1 ounce of whole grain cereal (stay away from the high sugar cereals). A serving may consist of 1/2 cup of sliced fruit, 3/4 cup of fruit juice, or a medium-size whole fruit, such as an apple, banana or pear. A serving might be one cup of raw leafy vegetables, 3/4 cup of vegetable juice, or 1/2 cup of other vegetables, raw or cooked. Creative serving ideas will go a long way towards maintaining healthy eating habits. For kids aged 5-12, the key word is variety. This means whole grains (whole wheat, oats, barley, rice, millet, quinoa) a wide variety of fresh fruits and vegetables calcium for growing bones (milk, yogurt, or substitutes if lactose intolerant) and healthy proteins (fish, eggs, poultry, lean meat, nuts, and seeds). It can be difficult to ensure they are getting adequate nutrition when you are not around to monitor their choices, so try to maintain regular family mealtimes.Īs children develop, they require the same healthy foods adults eat, along with more vitamins and minerals to support growing bodies. Your kids may spend more time in school than they do at home, eat meals at friends’ houses, and adopt eating habits from their peers. Rome was not built in a day, so do not expect your child to suddenly become a picture of great food habits- give them time and tilt the balance in favor of good choices.Eating becomes a social activity in this stage of life.
Healthy food for kids full#
The market, nay, the world is so full of junk food that eating ‘regular’ food might seem like deprivation to a child. Lack of sleep leads to poor impulse regulation and increased hunger. Also, ensure that the kids are getting enough sleep. Stock the pantry with healthy options (bulk-prep yogurt topped with fruit or breakfast burritos with beans, veggies, and cheese) for sudden hunger pangs.
![healthy food for kids healthy food for kids](https://d2q2f0pfv13tpb.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/fruit-rainbow.jpg)
Children have active appetites and will sometimes ask for an oddly-timed snack. It might also be a good idea for younger children to try fun shapes- use cookie cutters to make cute patterns from bread or fruit slices. Try to understand what they love about food – and help them find the same flavors and textures from better sources.
Healthy food for kids how to#
Show them how to make a few family favorites that you know that they like. They can slowly become independent enough to start creating the food that they like and not depend on ultra-processed food for the flavors they crave. This will not only teach them an essential life skill, but it will also give them an idea of their palate and the flavors they like to eat. Try setting non-food-related rewards instead.Īn effective way to get children to eat better is also to encourage them to cook. Stop using sugary food as a reward- it will elevate the status of junk food as the prize for doing well. Shame around food choices is also heavily correlated to the development of eating disorders. Do not shame them for their food choices this will often result in them eating behind your back or going out to eat with their friends. Instead, ask them to include the good stuff- add some fruit initially, followed by some home-cooked meals, and gradually, they will be full from the nutritional food and not require the junk so often.
![healthy food for kids healthy food for kids](https://thehealthyfish.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/picky-eaters-healthy-foods.jpeg)
Getting them to omit their favorites will always be hard. Asking your child to go cold turkey is going to result in tears and tantrums. The harsh truth is that junk foods are very addictive.
![healthy food for kids healthy food for kids](https://www.kindyhub.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/healthy-plate.jpg)
They may surprise themselves when they realize that a lot of whole foods taste excellent. If they still dislike it after two bites, they can go back to eating something familiar. A simple trick to try is the two-bite rule – everyone has two bites of an unfamiliar food before saying no to it.
![healthy food for kids healthy food for kids](https://flybyfun.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/c2bbb756fbc081646e506d0027a62194-1-e1486013282828.jpg)
Set a good example by eating plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables yourself. The easiest way to avoid this, of course, is to keep encouraging them to eat whole foods. The foods that were supposed to be an occasional treat have all but taken over many children’s diets. We live in a time where an abundance of sugary, unhealthy, high-calorie foods are cheap and easily accessible. Note: This post contains affiliate links, when you purchase a product or service through one of these links we may earn a commission on that sale.