To make your children stronger, sharper, and more intelligent, it is essential that you help them make the habit of eating well. Instilling healthy eating patterns into your children helps them to grow stronger, healthier, and builds up immunity. Healthy food choices also can help kids to feel better, maintain their normal weight, and have more energy to study and play. Learning about healthy food, physical activity, and other habits will last for the rest of his or her life. Here are a few hacks that will encourage them to make better food choices:

Just Explain Why Healthy Food is Important

Although most parents underestimate their children, having a pleasant conversation about eating healthy can make all the difference. As you learn more about ways to improve health, take the time to talk with your children about how a particular food or physical activity might benefit them. In addition to that, you may want to get your children a few fun books related to healthy eating habits, and some colourful plates/mugs that they choose, as well, to encourage them to eat better. 

Variety Matters

If your child does not eat a portion of a meal — say, vegetables — that is the choice of your child. The more variety, the greater the chance that your child will find something he or she is interested in eating. Although we shouldn’t spoil our children by giving into their every demand, coming to a middle ground helps improve your child’s diet. They will also understand that you’re open to negotiations. This will in turn improve your relationship with your children, as they will find you more approachable.

Eating Together is Key

Children who have meals at home with family members eat better-quality meals, with higher intakes of fruits and vegetables. As children grow older, studies show families that eat meals together tend to have better-quality diets, with more fruits and vegetables, and fewer fast foods and sugary drinks. Eating together as a family is how children learn to make healthier food choices and to practice good table manners. Eating together also allows your kids to see you eating healthy foods, keeping portions in check and restricting unhealthy foods. Knowing that your entire family is going to sit down to dinner (or breakfast) together at about the same time each day is a huge comfort to kids, and it boosts their appetites. You can practice this by eating meals together as a family as much as possible, as well as getting kids involved with grocery shopping and cooking, so they are exposed to fruits and vegetables early on. 

Be the Change you Want to See

The strongest way to communicate a message about healthy food to your kids is by having them see you making healthy choices each and every day. Incorporate these tips to help kids make healthier choices and build healthy eating patterns that can last a lifetime. Too often parents want their children to eat healthier, but either they are not offering healthier options, or they are not eating healthier themselves. 

Be Firm, But Gentle

Being too controlling with time and what children eat (authoritarian approaches) is associated with children eating more when not hungry, and eating fewer healthier foods with higher calories. Research has found that parents and caretakers unavoidably shape a child’s eating behaviours–for example, how responsive they are to the child’s hunger and signs of fullness; what, if any, boundaries are put in place regarding food choices; and whether a child is given some agency in making their own decisions about food choices, or if there are demands placed on eating. 

Food habits that your children adopt as youngsters, will help them to keep up the good habits as adults. Encourage children to build good eating habits, as bad eating habits may cause obesity and poor health. Teach children to eat when hungry, not because of boredom, or because they saw a snack advertised on TV. Our dietitians help kids make better food choices through education and nutritional counselling. We partner with schools and colleges to help make a difference in the life of many children.