Guest Article by - Chitra Khanna,
Klay Preschools & Day Care.
Introduction
Kids have their strong opinions when it comes to food. But as parents, you must introduce them to protein, minerals, fibre-rich foods, and other necessary nutrients. Here are some healthy eating habits for kids and how to help them form these.
6 Healthy Eating Habits for Kids
Developing good eating habits for kids is necessary to help them grow into strong individuals who are not nit-picky when it comes to food. But what are these habits? Let’s have a look:
1. No Skipping Breakfast
Leaving home hungry can make it difficult for your child to focus and memorise things. Hence, teach your tiny tot to never skip breakfast.
2. More Colour in Their Meals, the Better
Adding colourful meals to their diet is another way to form good eating habits for kids. From greens like spinach and kiwis to reds like beet and strawberries — give your children a range of nutrients for their development.
3. Focus on Chewing
Slow eating is another great eating habit for kids to form. This habit allows them to form a healthy relationship with their food as they focus on enjoying their meals rather than just eating for the sake of it.
4. Complete Their Daily Water Intake
Kids cannot function well when dehydrated. Drinking two litres of water is essential to complete the daily water intake.
5. No Screen Time While Eating
Eating when sitting in front of the screens is a habit you should let go. It distracts your child from indulging themselves thoroughly in their food.
6. Encouraging Family Time During Meals
Instead of television, a good eating habit for kids is to switch the digital set with some family time. Make it a point to at least spend one meal time with the entire family. This creates a positive family bond and encourages healthy food choices among your kids.
How to Encourage Healthy Eating Habits in Your Child
Now that you know what type of eating habits are healthy for kids, here comes the tricky part — getting your child to follow these habits till they become a part of their routine. Below are some ways in which you can encourage your child to form these healthy eating habits:
1. Have a Consistent Meal Time
To form a habit, it is important to set a schedule. Make sure to follow a consistent schedule for your child’s snack and meal time. For meals, aim to give them a balanced meal so they are satiated and avoid overeating during snack time.
2. Go the Smart Snacking Way
Saying no to snack time is not a solution. Instead, you can get smart with your options. Replace the salty and fried chips with dry fruits or lotus seeds. Give them sliced vegetables with hummus or if they crave something sweet, yoghurt can be your go-to!
3. Get Creative with Presentation
One way you can form healthy eating habits for kids is by getting creative with their food. Kids get attracted to appealing visuals, and if you make boring vegetables and fruits look fun, they might just enjoy indulging in them more.
4. Be the Change You Want to See
This is not just a quote but also something you should apply when it comes to teaching your child good eating habits. Your kids will learn by observing your actions and choices. So, make some good decisions.
5. Limit Exposure to the Sugary World
It is not rocket science — kids love the taste of sugary and fried food. So, making them love vegetables will take a lot more than convincing. Hence, do not introduce your child to fried, fatty, and sugary food. This way they will enjoy vegetables because they haven’t yet had a taste of unhealthy food.
6. Make New Additions, the Old Way
If your child has a hard time trying something new just because they can’t let go of their favourites, don’t force them to like it. Instead, be smart with how you introduce a new food. For example, if they like crispy-coated chicken nuggets and you want them to try fish, prepare it in a way that resembles chicken nuggets.
Healthy Food for Young Kids
Forming good food habits for children is easy if you consider giving them food from each of the following categories:
1. Vegetables and Fruits
This food group is filled with antioxidants, vitamins, water, and fibre, providing the necessary nutrients required to fight off diseases.
2. Meat and Alternatives
Meat like chicken, lamb, fish, and eggs are great sources of protein and important for your child’s muscle growth. For vegetarian alternatives, consider paneer, tofu, chickpeas, lentils, beans, and nuts.
3. Dairy and Alternatives
After the age of six months, post-breastfeeding, introduce your child to dairy products like instant formula milk which is light to digest. After 12 months, you can introduce them to pasteurised cow milk. Post that, slowly add other dairy products to their diet like cheese and yoghurt for calcium and protein.
4. Grains and Cereals
Flatbreads (rotis), bread, pasta, rice, quinoa, oats, corn, barley, and breakfast cereals will provide your child with the energy required for learning.
Be Consistent and Patient!
Developing good eating habits for kids is a process. You have to be consistent and patient as your child will take time to form these habits. Hence, go along their pace to make them form a healthy relationship with their food.
