Tips on Getting Kids to Eat Right

 
     Sometimes it can be such a challenge to get our kids on board with a healthy eating plan.  They want ice cream for breakfast, fruit bars for lunch, sugary cookies for dinner and they complain and cry until they get what they want.  Does this sound familiar?  In our house, it sure does...but with a little ingenuity and some planning, you can have your children eating fruits and vegetables for health.  I love to talk to the kids about how each food affects the body.  The calcium in milk helps your bones grow strong.  The vitamin C in oranges helps prevent colds and other infections.  The beta carotene in carrots helps you to have laser sharp vision. The protein in chicken helps you build muscles to jump high.  I realized how my children just love to talk about what each food is for and why we should eat it.  They also enjoy understanding why too many sweets are not healthy for them and how they can make them sick if they eat too much.  I love the Storybots episode about why we cannot eat too many sweets!  It was a perfect Netflix episode detailing why too much sugar is bad for you.  I would highly suggest you kids watch that particular Storybots episode if your kids are fighting you over eating sweets over healthy food.

Some tips on getting kids to eat right include:
1.  Introduce whole grains at a young age.
2. Offer children a variety of foods - especially fruits and vegetables - from an early age.
3. When introducing a new food, offer it to children ten times or more.  Studies show a child is more likely to try a new food when it is offered several times.
4.  Don't forbid sweets; simply don't have them around.
5.  If you are eating sweets, your kids are watching you.  Make good food choices when kids are around.
6.  Limit mindless snacking in front of the TV.
7.  Go easy on the juice.  Juice is high in sugar and the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends children five and younger drink no more than 6 ounces of juice per day.
8.  Choose a healthier breakfast cereal.

When heading out, prep your snacks ahead of time.  Pieces of fruit, cut vegetables, and various nuts make great on the go snacks.

There are many easy ways to help your kids make healthier food choices!

For healthy snacks and beverages...

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