Some ways to develop your child's healthy approach towards eating
- Cut down on the amount of fat in your family's diet. Include low fat dairy products, lean meat, fat free cereals or breads.
- Avoid restricting sweets or desserts. Fat, salt, sugar have a moderate place in our diet. Don't curb them completely. Just teach your child to take small portions of it.
- Make or keep wide variety of healthy foods ready at home to be eaten as snacks. Do allow occasional indulgence of chips, colas and cookies.
- Eating slowly helps to detect hunger and fullness better. Encourage your child to eat slowly.
- Eating meals together with family helps children. Meal time with family can be pleasant with free flowing, light hearted conversations about the day, etc.
- Activities like shopping for food and preparing meals are fun time for children. Both, parents and children learn about each other's food preferences and enjoy the time spent together.
- Eating meals and watching TV at same time makes it difficult to pay attention to the hunger and may lead to overeating.
- Sending children to bed without eating food may give them the impression that they will have to go hungry. So they may try to eat whenever they get a chance. Avoid using food as punishment.
- If your kid is having lunch at school, find out more about the lunch program. If you pack your child's food include variety of foods. While dining out, pick healthier items.
- If you as parents eat healthy nutritious food, your child tends to learn and pick up similar eating habits. Set a good example by eating variety of nutritious foods and snacks. Teaching your child healthy eating practices early in life will help develop an approach to eating food with right attitude.
