Best Healthy Eating Tips For Kids
Do you know why your mother turns green each time you snack in front of the TV? It is not as if your mom does not like you to eat at all but there is just something about eating while watching that is bad.
Researches confirm that snacking in front of the box will lead to snack attack. This is why more and more kids are getting heavier these days because they are so fond of watching the Mickey Mouse show while taking their favorite Lays chip. The tendency is you unknowingly grab more and more snack until the show ends. This is wrong because the habit can lead to obesity. As you know, obesity is serious and it is deadly.
Also, snacking in front of the TV is wrong because it breaks down family ties. It is possible that you will love it more to spend your time with the actors and actresses in the movie you are watching than your mom and dad. Great family bonding which is established when eating meals will stop. So unless you will want to become closer to others than to be with people who loves you more, you better stop eating in front of the box.
Indeed, it is every parent’s duty and kid’s responsibility to stop eating in front of the TV. After all, eating a good meal will only take a few minutes; it will not rob the long hours you got to watch the show you want.
Your Child’s Waistline And Cardiovascular Health
Watch For The Signs Of Childhood Obesity
What’s your child waist line? The recent study confirmed that the size of the waist is a good indicator of one’s cardiovascular health. The waist line better projects one’s health rather than weight, height, and body mass index. This is confirmed by the recent study among children.
Because of the threat given by obesity to children, it pays to become vigilant in seeing signs of risk for heart diseases while your child is still young. This will better help you find ways to stop the diseases from getting serious. The data was examined among 4,667 children aging 6 years old to 17. The study affirmed that one’s waist is related to higher pulse pressure which is a good indicative of heart related illnesses. Let it be known still that the body mass of a child do not correlated with one’s pulse pressure.
Detecting the possible risk of heart disease among children is one important thing a parent could do. The study advices pediatricians to start measuring waist lines as part of their routine screening among children in order to check the risk for heart related illnesses. This study further says that measuring the waist is a less strenuous work compared to doing other tests. Also, it is cost-effective and lastly, it is a valid measure to screen a child for heart related problems than doing the hard work of determining their body mass. So if your child’s waist is bigger than normal then it is enough for you to be alarmed.
Parents Influence On Children’s Eating Habits
These Days Keeping Children Healthy Is A Battle For Moms
Eat your greens— this is the most recurring words in a mom’s mouth. As part of being “good” parents, they feel that it is their duty to cook sumptuous and healthy meals each day. Part of this, they check to limit snacking and promote regular mealtimes. This is their way of raising lively and healthy children. Indeed, parental influence in a kid’s health is important. But study suggests that parents are left to face many more battles in the name of keeping their children healthy.
The new study focuses on how parents influenced their kid’s eating habits. The study works on people’s population during 1980 to 2009. The authors, who are from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health established that parental influence is getting weaker over the years. Parent disciplining their children about proper calorie intake and lesser fat consumption is weak particularly in United States.
The diminishing parental influence may be due to the many factors that influence children, and family environment plays a large part here. The lead author in the name of Dr. Youfa Wang said that parents should become strict in giving attention to other details that influence a child such as school, peer influence, local food environment, government policies, and a lot more.
Without a doubt, the environment is rapidly changing and parents need to adapt to this demand. They should become more vigilant to make children stir clear from the troubles offered by poor eating habit which is so inherent in the society nowadays.
Make Kids Eat Healthy Without The Fuss
Do you feel like you are trapped inside a cycle of forcing your kid to eat healthy foods each day? If there is one consolation here well that would be the fact that you are not alone. Most moms complain about their kids ignoring their broccoli salad to have potato chips instead. But although it is as if kids see green leafy vegetables as a monster under their bed, there is still a way to stop this frightening scene. Yes, you can do something about it.
Cook Real Food And Develop Healthy Kids
The trick to force kids to eat healthy is to stop the force game. Allow your kid to pick foods that he likes. The ploy is to give wide array of healthy choices. Since he has been getting the potato chips instead of the broccoli salad, it is time to stop buying those chips! Stock up healthy food choices likes fruits, muffins, vegetables, peanuts, milk and eggs to name a few. Do not buy chips and sodas anymore. This way, even if your kid refuses to eat what you served him, he will have to find the other healthy foods you put in the pantry.
It is also wise to let him join you when cooking. Cooking is a good way to develop healthy kids. If he is involved in the cooking then he will become more interested to eat it. This way, you can let him get something nutritious so he can start to eat healthy for his own advantage. Just take extra precaution not to burn your kid or to meet any accident.
Easiest Way To Introduce A Healthy Diet For Kids
Since you do not want to become a monster in your kids’ eye by forcing them to “clean” their plates, then you may want to find out healthy foods that kids actually like. This way, healthy diet for kids is yours. Most parents tend to overlook these food choices in their wish of introducing something “healthy” when the fact is, these foods can become the start of good nutrition.
Milk. Toddlers can’t seem to have enough of milk but when they get older, the demand to consume a glass of milk daily will lower. So for kid’s health, allow then to consume as much as milk they would like. Milk is a very good source of vitamin D, calcium, and protein. This is one of the foods that must be a part of your kid’s diet unless you are dealing with a kid who is suffering from milk allergy.
Peanut butter. Many parents are actually avoiding peanut butters for fear of allergies and the fright over the fact that it is high in fat. Yes, peanut butter may be high in fat but that would be mono- and poly- unsaturated fat so it is still acceptable when working for healthy diet for kids. Also, you can get reduced fat peanut butter out there.
Yogurt. This is another food you can introduce to allow kid to stay healthy and prevent childhood obesity. Just remember to let them eat yogurt with “live active cultures’, low in fat, and no added sugar. You can also go for one with probiotics. This way, healthy diet for kids is not hard to get.
Why Kids Nutrition Becomes Important
What age should you push kids to start eating healthy? The answer is, starting from birth. So watch your ways because children are like sponge that emulates their parent’s actions. However, it is not too late if you want to work on your kids eating habits. You can do it even when your kids are already at school, here’s what you can do:
Indulge in a habit of serving and eating vegetables. Your kid will be watching you. So always remember to eat healthy foods. This way, you can also help yourself have a good nutrition for your own health.
Buy only healthy foods that you like to eat. It is normal for kids to eat junk foods if they can easily grab one. So start checking your grocery list, be sure that you have foods that are safe for your kids.
Allow kids to take part when doing your grocery shopping. By doing this, you will let kids understand the need to eat proper and healthy food choices. Each time they grab an item, it will help if you can say the effects of it to their body. This will encourage kids to start eating healthy.
Cook with them. Kids love it when they take parts on activities that are supposedly for adults only. Spend some time to cook with your kids. When they cook foods, they will surely eat it. If you cook healthily then you are bound to serve kids with food variants that may trigger them to start eating healthy.
Take Concern Over Nutrition For Kids
You know what a food pyramid is. In fact, there is a great chance that your kid also knows what it is. To promote a healthy diet then you should start taking concern of what the pyramid tells you. Food pyramid was created by the US Department of Agriculture to encourage proper nutrition for kids. It emphasizes the five major food groups needed to promote a good health. It also shows foods that come with too much fats, sweets, and oils.
Taking concern over nutrition for kids is important for their overall health. A healthy body will also prevent the onset of scary medical problems like weak bones, obesity, and diabetes. This will also help kids develop to their full potential. So it is every parent’s business to uphold their kids’ proper nutrition at all times.
When taking concern over issues of nutrition for kids, you should start by encouraging them to eat a variety of foods. While green leafy vegetables are healthy but it is wrong if you limit their food consumption to just eating these greens. The food they eat should balance with their physical activity too. Allow kids to go for grain products, fruits, and vegetables. Introduce a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol. Have a moderate intake of salt and sugar. Foods must have enough amounts of iron and calcium to go with the growing body requirement of your kids. By following these simple tricks, you can ensure to have kids that are healthy, physically and mentally.
Have Healthy Eating Habits Even At School
Parents always struggle when it comes to developing kid’s healthy eating habits during lunchtime at school. On the other hand, a kid may always complain about the food served to her. She may start to complain why her friend Annie can eat junk foods when she’s left to suffer the greens simply because her mom wants to promote a healthy diet.
So as parents, the challenge is in your hand. Developing proper eating habits may not be easy but you can always do it. By creating a few substitutions to the food she brings to school, you can become triumphant in your goal of promoting kids health through vitamins and minerals that she gets to eat from the food you prepare. Also, proper food preparation will limit fat and calories intake, thus preventing childhood obesity.
To make everything well, it is wise to encourage your child to join you when preparing the foods. It is best to discuss proper nutrition to her but see to it that you let her know that she is still in charge of the foods she likes to eat.
So prepare sandwiches on your own to prevent fast food marketing. Choose lower fat deli meats like turkey and make use of whole grain bread for the sandwich. Limit fried snacks and opt for baked pretzels, chips, and air popped popcorn. For best result, offer cut-up veggies served with a dip. Do not forget to give fresh fruit and make a little effort of creating fresh natural juice. Give water or fresh fruit juice instead of sodas. This way, healthy eating habits is yours to have.
Know The Common Causes Of Childhood Obesity
It is estimated that 5 to 25 percent of kids are suffering from childhood obesity. Problem is, studies further confirm that the amount of kids suffering from this deadly disease is bound to increase particularly because of the increasing trend it is undergoing right now. Basically, obesity is defined as the accumulation of excessive body fat.
In order to win the battle against childhood obesity, we should know the causes. While most would think that unhealthy eating habit is the primary cause, there are other aspects that need our concentration:
The Impact of Family- It was confirmed that kids with parents who are obese are likely to suffer the same fate. This may be because of a genetic factor or the unhealthy parental modeling of exercise and eating behaviors.
Low-energy Expenditure- Exercise for kids is a must. Sadly, most kids spend their time in front of the television when such time is better spent on physical pursuits. It shows that obesity is greatest for kids who spend most time watching television.
If you suspect that your kid is suffering from childhood obesity, seek help the soonest. It is important that a certified practitioner handles the case of your kid. This will ensure that proper detection to see the presence of obesity is done. This is a good way too to find the best route to take to counteract the problem. So never be afraid to ask for help. After all, obesity is best treated while the problem is still new.
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