Healthy Diet Plans >> Articles >> Diet and Wellness

Building Good Eating Habits In Kids

Submitted by Stella Morgan on December 9, 2009

Good eating habits in children not only ensure that they are acquiring the nutrients essential to their bodies, but also helps the child develop mentally and socially. The first thing to do is to make family meals a ritual and to serve a variety of healthy food like fruits, green vegetables and whole grains. This reduces the risk of the child snacking on unhealthy food like chips, fast food and will put a curb on smoking marijuana and drinking alcohol. Family meals help to bring the children closer to their parents and provide a platform for exchanging information about daily activities and problems at school. It also instils a sense of routine and stability in the child’s life.

Good eating habits will help the child perform better at school and it is likelier that the child will have a long and healthy life. Family meals will give the child a sense of security while it will also make the child more forthcoming. It helps parents know the child’s friends especially if the child is allowed to bring a friend home for dinner.

There are certain things to follow when putting the child through a healthy food regimen.

First and foremost, the adult must act as a role model and not succumb to fast food and other unhealthy snacking since kids have the tendency to follow adults in more ways than one. Store your fridge with fruits and keep other healthy food in reach for the child to consume when hungry. If the child feels like snacking, whole grain crackers, low-fat flavoured yoghurt, nuts, cheese and peanut butter will keep the child healthy.

Try to avoid deep fried food, soft drinks that are high in sugar content but do not ban a favourite snack, only limit them to a once in a while food.

To develop healthy eating habits in children it is also essential to keep meal times pleasant and to avoid arguments. Instruct the child gently as it may take time for the child to learn table manners and etiquette.

Make sure that the child does not have meals in front of the television or read a book while doing so. Offer the child a variety of snacks in case the child does not eat enough at mealtimes but only an hour or two after the meal to ensure that the child will be hungry. Also ensure that the child drinks at least 6-7 glasses of water.