Encourage Healthy Eating in your Kids

Are you dancing around the table, trying to get your kids to eat broccoli.  Join the club.  Here are some tips from one parent to another.

1. Model healthy eating habits.  Humans have mirror neurons that encourage us to imitate health behaviors we see in others.

2.  Visit farms, pick berries, grow a garden.  There is nothing like tasting a tomato from the garden.

3.  Decide what, where and when.  Let the kids decide whether or how much.  Author Ellyn Satter of “Your Child’s Weight: Helping Without Harming” suggests that snacking and lack of structure is one major cause of obesity in our children.  Timing meals allows children to become familiar with hunger and satiety signals rather than snacking all day.

4.  Let them help in the kitchen.  Have some messy fun making 2 ingredient banana cookies. Healthy food can be fun to make and eat!

5.  Exposure.  Keep serving vegetables.

6.  Avoid sodas and fruit juice.  It is better for children to eat their calories than drink them.  High glycemic drinks shift metabolism and promote obesity.

7.  Love your body.  Demonstrate healthy body image for your kids.  Show them you care about your body and your health.

8.  Make tasty food.  A little fat and spice goes a long way.  Baked sweet potato fries.  Mashed cauliflower.

9.  Have fun with your food.  Turn broccoli into trees, a clown face with your salad, see more ideas here Making Food Fun.