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6 Ways to Help Your Children Eat Right
Childhood obesity is a rampant epidemic in the U.S. According to the National Center for Health Statistics, nearly 20 percent of children between the ages of 6 and 19 are overweight or obese. As a parent, you have a unique opportunity to be part of a solution to this growing concern, meeting the problem of childhood obesity head-on and taking measures to avoid the potentially lifelong consequences surrounding this condition. Here are six ways you can lay a solid nutritional foundation for your children:
- Establish motivation for your children to eat well. Help identify motivators with your family that are personal and individualized, and use these to encourage healthful food choices.
- Make good foods easily accessible for children. When children head to the pantry or refrigerator for a little something to eat, more often than not, they will reach for the first thing visible.
- Establish a regular schedule for meals and snacks. Sticking to scheduled meal and snack times encourages a healthy attitude toward food and an understanding of its purpose.
- Get children involved in grocery shopping.
- Get children involved in cooking. This can result in a bit of extra cleanup, but when children become more familiar with simple meal preparation, they learn that healthy cooking can be easy and fun.
- Limit your child's beverage menu - especially sodas and juices. At 100 to 150 calories and nearly 30 grams of sugar per can, sodas boast no nutritional value whatsoever and can contribute to cavities, childhood obesity and diabetes.
Remember, teaching your children the fundamentals of proper nutrition is just like teaching them how to ride a bike - once they learn, they never forget
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