Creating a "healthy home" can be easier than you think.
Creating a nutritionally healthy home is one of the most important steps you can take to ensure the health of your kids. To start, make smart food choices, and help your kids develop a positive relationship with healthy food. Your children will learn their food smarts from your example.
Below I have outlined ten tips for making sure that your children take in nutritional food:
1. Do not restrict food. Restricting food increases the risk your child may develop eating disorders such as anorexia or bulimia later in life. It can also have a negative effect on growth and development. Also by restricting food you will actually increase the risk of overeating later in the day which will cause weight gain.
2. Have healthy food in your home. Your kids will eat what is visible to them. Use this to your advantage. For instance, keep apples, oranges, bananas and pears in a bowl on the counter, not a drawer in the fridge. Also limit the empty calorie foods which you keep on hand. Doing this will teach your children how to select a healthier diet.
3. Don't label foods as "good" or "bad." Instead, tie foods to the things your child cares about, such as sports, academics and hobbies. Let your child know that lean protein such as turkey and calcium in dairy products give strength to their sports and academic performance, the antioxidants in fruits and vegetables add luster to skin and hair and the carbs in whole grains will give them energy to play.
4. Praise healthy choices. Give your children a proud smile and tell them how smart they are when they choose healthy foods. Kids thrive on positive reinforcement!
5. For time to time children eat unhealthy. After all, they are children. However, if you find that your children are consistently making the unhealthy choice, then you need to intervene. Replace pudding snacks with healthy yogurt. Replace candy with both fresh and dried fruit. Before you know it, your children will desire healthy foods over those filled with empty calories.
6. Absolutely avoid rewarding children with food. Doing so often leads to weight problems later on in life. Rather, you should reward your children with a healthy activity, such as going swimming, or a trip to the park.
7. Make sure that you sit down and eat dinner as a family. This should become customary in your home if it is not already. The truth is that children who eat their dinner at the table with their parents not only eat more healthy, but are far less likely to get into trouble as teenagers.
8. Prepare plates in the kitchen. There you can put healthy portions of each item on everyone's dinner plate. Your children will learn to recognize correct portion sizes. Too often people go for seconds and even thirds just because the food is right there. You might notice that you need less food to feel full!
9. It is okay to give your child a choice in what they like to eat, and what they do not like to eat. However, when they like something healthy, take full advantage. Serve healthy foods which your children enjoy more frequently, and offer them the foods which they dislike less frequently. This gives your children a voice in deciding what they eat.
10. You should always confer with a pediatrician prior to putting your child on any diet. Whether you child needs to gain or lose weight, seek a professional opinion prior to making significant changes in your child's diet. If your child does need a change, then find a book which will guide you on the subject.
Looking resources to assist in weight loss for kids, then visit Megan Hillard's website to find the best advice on weight loss for children, your children.
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