In a world where junk food is plenty, the question of how to eat healthy is a crucial one. During the formative years of your child, you cannot afford to jeopardize their physical growth. This is why it is so imperative to develop good eating habits for kids. Instilling good eating habits can be hard, when it comes to children, since they do not understand the concept of health very well. So, the physical health of your child is equivalently proportionate to the eating habits you inculcate in them.
Here are 5 good eating habits for kids that can help your child’s growth.
Cut out junk
Junk food today are not only high in sugar and oil, they are high in harmful chemicals as well. Hormone boosters have been reported to be an ingredient in many common junk foods. When you are letting your children consume junk food you are putting their bodies at risk from many aspects. Indulging in junk food once in a while can be absolutely fine, but do not make junk food a part of their regular diet.
Add variety
Generally, children get bored of eating the same food again and again. At the same time feeding your child the same food can result in deprivation of important nutrients. By bringing a variety in what you serve your child, you cater to their taste buds as well as their body’s nutritional needs. Try to incorporate all kinds of protein, vegetables and grains. If your child does not like a particular type food then try to mask it by preparing a dish that masks the flavors.
Chew well and eat slow
When we eat our stomach takes time to send signals to our brain that tells us we are full. If your child eats fast then they might end up overeating. At the same time if they eat too slowly then they can have a false sense of having a full stomach. This is why you need to teach your child to chew their food well; the time it takes is just the right time. Chewing well is also good for digestion since the food breakdown process for digestions starts off in the mouth.
Regulate portions
Portion control can be as important as cutting out junk food. Even if you are serving your child a good home cooked meal, eating too much or too little of it can be problematic. Mostly child give a hard time to parents when it comes to eating. Always make sure that you have a fixed portion that your child must eat. By not eating the right amount your child’s growth can be hampered.
Fixed meal timings
Today most people have highly erratic lives. But allowing your child to have an erratic routine is out of the question. Having fixed meal timings for the whole family can ensure that no meal is skipped. It can also be important for the family to bond over a meal. So, having fixed family meal timings can be a very healthy eating habit.
How to eat healthy is in the hands of parents, so when you cook a meal always think about your child’s health.
Do you find this information useful? Share your inputs, we would like to hear from you. School of India‘s teaching practices are inspired from from the rich legacy of India . We focus on holistic development of children rather than just focusing on academics.
