Sixty percent of children do not eat the recommended daily amount of fruits and ninety-three percent do not eat enough vegetables, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Children need at least a serving of fruit a day and more than four servings of vegetables.
Parents are a significant factor in a child’s eating habits. Encouragement, creativity, and the following tips are helpful ways to build a healthy eating foundation for your children.
Make It Accessible
Fresh fruits and vegetables should be considered in snacking options. When kids run up, grab something, eat, and carry on with their friends, they will be more likely to consume the recommended daily amount of vitamins that are richly found in fruits and vegetables.
Also, don’t push it. The power struggle sabotages your efforts in trying to get your kids to eat healthy. Make it accessible and allow the taste in fruits and vegetables to work their magic.
Don’t Be Afraid of Butter
You might have heard a rumor about butter being bad for you. We aren’t going to lie, because most everything inn large quantities can be. However, in smaller quantities, it can be healthy, especially since it contains vitamin A, E, and D3.
Butter doesn’t just make food taste better, but it can also help your kids absorb those nutrients more easily, especially since some veggies are not easy to swallow!
A tablespoon of butter on a few of these could be really tasty:
- Mashed sweet potatoes
- Green beans
- …and so much more.
Give Them the Power of Choice
Children love the feeling of independence. One way you can help them do that is by letting them choose their own fruits and vegetables. Take them to the grocery store with you and give them free reign of the produce section. Ask them to choose their favorites or whatever they prefer as a healthy snack.
Later, you can ask them which fruit or veggie they want to eat. Giving them the choice helps to teach them the difference between what’s healthy and what isn’t. This could be the start of a good, healthy, nutritional habit for the present and future of your kids’ health.
Be a Role Model
To be a positive role model, you need to show your children how important it is to eat healthy by doing it yourself. It doesn’t mean you have to eat fruits and vegetables all the time, but you can show them the importance of balance.
For example, you might have a nice, healthy salad for dinner, but then treat yourself to one cookie for dessert. Balance is key, so children can learn that sweets don’t have to be avoided completely – they just need to eat them in moderation.
Focus on Whole Fruits and Vegetables
As easy as it might seem to just hand your kids some fruity juice drink, it’s actually not as good for them as you might believe, even if the label claims to be fresh and natural. Most of them include added sugar, preservatives, and chemicals.
When you choose your own fresh fruits and vegetables, you know what you and your kids are getting, which could be the difference between healthy foods everyone can thrive on now and into the future.