Children who have healthy eating habits often grow up to become strong and healthy individuals. A faulty eating habit affects their growth and development. This is why you need to inculcate proper eating habits in your children from an early age. Take a look at this article to know about some very important food habits for your children.
Eating at fixed times
Encourage your children to eat at fixed times every day. This means the breakfast, lunch and dinner, as well as the mid-meal snacks, need to be served at the exact same time every day. Pick the time to suit your entire family so that you do not need to make modifications on certain days. So if your child leaves for school at 8 in the morning, make sure he has his breakfast at 7.30 AM every day. Fix similar times for the other meals too. Eating on time is an extremely healthy habit and it offers the following benefits:
- Improves metabolism – It is common knowledge that fixed-time meals improve a person’s metabolism rate. The same principle applies to a child as well. And since a good metabolism is a major health requirement, make your children eat at fixed times every day.
- Aids in better digestion – When eating at the same time every day, your child’s body functions better and this helps them to digest their food properly. This keeps your child happy and healthy.
- Avoids binge eating – When your children eat on time, their hunger pangs don’t take place and they refrain from binging on sugary or salty snacks.
Avoid junk food
Children consume a lot of junk food these days, and this is worrying as well as an alarming trend. Inculcate the habit of eating healthy food items among your kids. Junk food that is purchased from the chain restaurants are not just deep-fried and unhealthy, they are also loaded with chemicals and preservatives. These food items cause many health issues in children. If your child consumes a lot of junk food, he or she may become obese. Too much junk food consumption also leads to early puberty and loss of energy in children. An occasional outing to a fast food restaurant may be alright, but do not make it a habit with your children. Instead, try the following:
- Make healthy alternatives at home – Depriving children of junk food entirely would never be a wise thing to do. So why not make the same items at home? A homemade serving of French fries, made with freshly cut potatoes and fried in fresh oil is definitely better than a serving of the same from a fast-food restaurant.
- Offer treats at times – Create a system where the child can get a serving of junk food on a particular day of the month. Make them eat healthy on the other days and offer junk food as a reward.
Have a variety of foods
Children, especially the younger ones, are notorious for being picky eaters. But you should try to not give in to their demands. Encourage them to eat a variety of foods so that all the important food groups are covered. This would ensure they get the nutrition they need while filling their stomachs as well. Here are some tips for you:
- Keep a varied menu – No one likes to eat the same food every day and children are no different. So try to make your menu as varied as possible. Serve a different vegetable and a different protein on each day of the week. A variety will make your children eat healthy food without a fuss. Make sure they consume enough fibre as that aids in digestion.
- Snack on fruits – Fruits are very important for your children. Make sure they have at least one serving of fruit every day. A mid-meal snack of fruit works very well. Here too, remember to make it as varied as possible and serve different fruits every day.
Adopt these three habits and set an example for your children to follow. You need to start inculcating proper eating habits in your children when they are young. They will then grow up to be healthy adults who can weather every storm and stay fit.
