Creating Healthy Nutrition Habits in Your Kids

Whether your child is a baby or a teenager, you can have a positive influence on the eating habits of your child.

Looking at what you eat is an important consideration when trying to feed your child well. Look at your habits. What type of eating do you model? Kids naturally imitate the adults in their lives. The best thing you can do for your kids is to eat well yourself.

Children need to eat more frequently than adults. Smaller children do not have very large stomachs; they will be most comfortable with several smaller meals throughout the day. The teen years are a time of incredible development for kids. All of that growing takes energy so, teens need more food than an adult of the same size. Because of this, teens often consume additional snacks throughout the day. As a parent, your job is to provide healthy options for meals and snacks.

Make certain that the meals you serve are balanced. Whole grains should comprise about half of the meal. The remaining half should be split between protein and produce. Snacks should have a balance of carbohydrates and protein. Keep several healthy options handy for each. That will simplify snack time.

The earlier you introduce your child to vegetables, the easier it will be to serve them. Children learn to like what they eat. Find cute and clever ways to prepare your vegetables. There are a number of recipes available to make healthy vegetables that kids will eat. Flavorful dips, like hummus, are popular with children because they can get away with playing with their food a bit.

If you are concerned that your child is not getting enough vitamins from their diet, consider adding a multivitamin to the daily routine. There are many on the market today just for kids. Some of them are chewable, to encourage kids to want their daily vitamin.

While vitamins can be helpful, they are not a replacement for healthy foods. Avoid serving your children junk foods. These foods are high in fat, sugar and salt while providing no nutritional value. Some companies have started making healthier versions of junk foods. Before you decide to purchase any of these, read the labels carefully.

These are just a few of the tips to get your children on the path to healthy eating. Model good behavior for your children while providing them with healthy and flavorful options for snacks and meals. Give them balanced nutrition, supplemented by a multivitamin. And, avoid those foods that do not have any nutritional value. If you follow these suggestions, you are certain to establish a lifetime of healthy eating for all of your children.