TEMPO.CO, Jakarta – For some parents, build habits eat healthy in children is certainly not easy. Because it requires a long and consistent process. Including starting when children are small so it is easy to form routine habits.
Some child might be the same picky eater as when they were preschoolers, while other children are ripe to become adventurers who are ready, willing, and able to try new foods. Whatever your child’s eating habits that have been developed, you can help shape their preferences and attitudes towards nutritious food by guiding them towards healthy eating habits.
Here are 7 ways to build healthy eating habits in children, as reported by the page Very Well Mind
1. Fill the shopping basket with healthy food
To show your child healthy eating options, fill your grocery basket with fresh and reduced products food processed. You can make a game by picking various fruits and vegetables (green broccoli, yellow and red peppers, orange carrots). Then, talk about dishes you can make in the coming week, such as sauteing colorful vegetables.
2. Let your children help cook
Kindergarten children as long as accompanied can help you in the kitchen. Your kindergartner may not be able to cut vegetables, but they can of course tear lettuce for salad or put bread in a basket. Children 9 or 10 years old can stir sauce or measure ingredients. You will be happy to have encouraged culinary habits from an early age when your elementary school children grow up to be teens who can prepare delicious dinners for the whole family.
3. Don’t limit the amount of food they eat
Children can polish everything on their plates one day, then eat two peas and state that they are done the next. This is a very normal behavior for school-aged children who are growing up. Don’t make your child feel sad for not finishing everything on their plate. If your child does not usually eat a full plate at mealtime, start offering smaller portions.
4. Get used to healthy snacks
Even if your child is served a favorite meal for dinner, they might not eat it if they are snacking close to mealtime and not hungry. Don’t let children snack at least an hour before dinner. If they really need to have something, make it snack it’s healthy and as light as possible let’s say, you can give carrots with apple slices.
5. Give in small portions at night
Of course it’s tempting to say there are no dishes while watching TV, dessert, or whatever your child wants unless they have dinner, but this practice can cause problems between the child’s relationship with food. Instead of making your child feel pressured to eat when they don’t like it, give them choices that are easier to digest such as small portions of broccoli cheese or smoothie fruit.
6. Don’t eat junk food
Letting children receive gifts does not mean letting your elementary school children eat sweets a day. Limiting processed foods that are high in sugar and calories is a good idea in general, but can backfire if you go to extremes.
Not allowing lollipop to eat at your home can make children more likely to eat “forbidden” foods when they have the opportunity elsewhere (such as school or a friend’s house). A better way to handle sweet snacks is to let your child eat candy or chocolate occasionally. Most of the time when they crave something sweet, try offering healthy snacks such as nuts and raisins.
Also read: Children Love Picky Food, How to Overcome It?
7. Give a good example
If you forbid your child to drink soda and then you drink Diet Coke at dinner, of course it will not be effective. You also want to honestly examine your own attitude towards food. Did you try healthy recipes or eat fatty foods and then express regret and worry about your weight? If you want to find new ways to be creative and make healthy food choices, children are more likely to follow in your footsteps.
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