24 Feb Healthy Eating Tips
The Importance of Healthy Eating
At Freedom Childcare, we know that persuading children to eat fruit and vegetables every day can be a challenge. So, that’s why we have some tips that will teach kids, from an early age, the eating habits they require for a healthy lifestyle.
Early childhood is a critical time to educate children about maintaining a healthy eating routine. Ensuring a balanced diet is an important factor to providing children with the necessary nutrients they need to develop and grow. A daily diet should consist of three meals and two healthy snacks, including a combination of protein, carbohydrates, fruits, vegetables, dairy foods, some fat and sugar.
As a parent, you can have such a positive influence on your children’s long-term dietary habits by adopting these eating routines from an early age. Studies have shown there to be a great correlation between early childhood eating behaviours, food preferences and eating patterns later on in life.
We know that parents have minimal time to prepare healthy cooked meals for their children. But luckily, there are some easy ways for parents to manage their children’s eating behaviour positively.
Offer Children a Selection of Food Choices
Providing a variety of healthy foods is very beneficial towards a healthy diet as more nutrients can be included. Fruit and vegetables are also really quick and easy for parents to prepare. Also, offered regularly, children are more likely to enjoy these foods more.
Observation is another important factor into the shaping of children’s eating habits; watching their family and friends eat these foods can have a positive impact and encourage the children to eat them too.
It is important to avoid sugary soft drinks, junk food and meals that are high in fat and sugars, as these foods can cause overeating since the brain doesn’t register that the stomach is full.
Sweets and Snacks are Okay in Moderation
Forcing or pressurising children to eat certain foods may create them with a negative feeling. Alternatively, allowing the children to have sweets and snacks occasionally can reduce this feeling and help to build a balanced diet. However, we suggest not using these sweet snacks as rewards for your children’s behaviour as it can generate the perception of ‘good’ and ‘bad’ foods.
Teach Children to Recognise Hunger Signals
For most adults, knowing when you are full or hungry is an obvious feeling. But this is because as a child you would have listened to your physical cues for feeling this way.
It is a common occurrence that parents will give the wrong message to their kids by pressuring them to eat everything off their plate, via the use of punishment or bribery. However, this can be extremely negative and can teach children a lifelong habit of overeating. Allowing children to listen to their own hunger cues can easily solve this. For example, when a baby turns away from their bottle to indicate that they are full, or older children will stop eating when they feel full. It is better not to force them to finish everything on their plate as this new approach can teach an ever-lasting lesson.
Get Active
Alongside healthy eating habits, at Freedom Childcare we believe that being active is another greatly important factor in creating an overall healthy lifestyle. Encouraging children to go outside and play can reduce the risk of being overweight and is also a great stimulus on the brain. Being physically active has many benefits towards children’s development, such as improving their social skills, confidence and emotional stability.
Portion Size
It’s logical that our little ones have smaller stomach’s than us so we can’t expect them to eat the same size meals as adults. Small children cant necessarily chew food like adults so be mindful that your healthy choices are also accessible for them.
Choking Hazards
It’s in the news regularly unfortunately but there are some foods that need to be cut up to avoid them becoming choking hazards. Such foods as grapes, which should be cut lengthways and certain fruits and vegetables should be chopped accordingly.
Nutrients from Vegetables
An old trick but effective, when children are reluctant to each vegetables, which adults have the same problem with by the way! Try blending them together to make a nice sauce.
Hidden Ingredients
Be careful of hidden sugar, salt and additives.
Sugar is immensely dangerous to our bodies, unfortunately we have all been brought up on cereals that start the day with a huge sugar dose. Be mindful of this when allowing little ones to choose their cereals, the colourful boxes and characters are there for a reason, to attract young eyes. Throughout the rest of the day, be aware of high sugar foods and drinks, check the label.
Food and Play
Prepare your food at home and involve the family. They will have a better relationship with food if they understand how it is made, what ingredients go in and generally fun in making it. Don’t be worried about them getting messy! Its all positive. If cooking at home is a new skill for you, learn together! Even making a simple sandwich helps a life long journey to independence.
Let them play with food, toddlers are very tactile creatures, let them play with cooked pasta, baked beans are amazing to put your hand in when you are 3!
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