Image by marie-ll via FlickrStep 4
Get in the habit of eating regular family meals together. Family meals can give an opportunity for the family to catch up and talk, as well as providing role models to the children for healthy eating. If your child turns his nose up at the prospect of family meals, try allowing him to invite a friend over for dinner, involve him in planning and preparation of meals and avoid lecturing or arguing during meal time. Make fun meals, or spend quality time preparing meals that your child can participate in–like decorating the pizza or making smiley faces out of pepperoni.
Keep healthy snacks on hand for your child to eat. Some healthy snack ideas include dried fruit and nuts, rice cakes, whole-grain crackers or bread with low-fat cheese or peanut butter, pretzels, air-popped popcorn with salt-free seasoning, low-fat fruit smoothies and low-fat yogurt. Snacks can ruin a healthy eating for both children and adults. Having healthy options around will reduce the impulse to give into cravings for fatty foods.
Eat food that is low in saturated fat, trans fat, cholesterol, sodium and added sugars. The American Heart Association recommends a total fat intake of 30 to 35 percent of calories for children ages two to three, 25 to 35 percent of calories for children and adolescents ages four to 18. Good sources of polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fatty acids include fish, nuts and vegetable oils.
* Don’t give up when your child refuses new foods. According to the Weight-Control Information Network, it may take up 10 or more tries for a child to accept new food.
* Healthy Eating; Nemours; February 2009
* Dietary Recommendations for Healthy Children; American Heart Association
* Helping Your Child; Weight-control Information Network; January 2007
* Dietary Recommendations for Children