How Healthy Eating will make you a better role model for your kids

As a parent, there’s nothing we wouldn’t do to put and keep that smile on our child’s face. So we pamper and try to give them whatever they like. Children, as we know are impressionable, and they love to imitate their parents. Little girls will put on your dress and heels to play dress up, little boys try to shave and help you work on your car and it’s nice.

Keep in mind that if children are impressionable and like to imitate us, then we should be careful about the example we set for our children as we are their first role model. This is especially true of our eating habits. If we are not careful about our diet, then our children will also not be very careful about what they eat. Factor in television ads that make eating unhealthy foods seems like a trip to Disney World, which could be more fun.
Given all the responsibilities and challenges you face daily, sometimes…most times it is difficult to maintain a healthy eating program. There are times when we simply don’t have time to cook a healthy meal for our family and we pick up take-out for dinner, it happens. The goal is to make that the exception and not the rule. So it is important that we as adults watch what and how we eat, not only for our own health but we should make sure we are setting a good example for our children so that as they grow they will continue to make good food choices.

If you want to create healthy eating habits for your children, you must create healthy eating habits for yourself. The healthy diet advice you are passing along to your children should include an explanation of why they are being exposed to these particular food choices. Try to eat as a family as often as possible. Your children should see you making good food choices for yourself. Children are inquisitive, and they will ask about the food you are serving them Take the time to explain, it’s a chance to educate your children about healthy food choices and a chance to strengthen bonds. Did you know that eating frequent family meals together has been linked to children being successful in school, including better grades and higher scores? Remember every good eating habit you display is not only good for your children, but it’s good for you as well.

Teach Proper Chewing Habits

In teaching your kids about healthy eating, you should also make sure that they eat properly. Emphasize chewing their food and taking their time when they are eating. You start by teaching them to cut their food into bite-sized portions and chew everything thoroughly. You should eliminate distractions during dinner time by banning televisions, smartphones, and other devices that are for entertainment.

Make Eating Fun

In order to emphasize healthy eating, you have to ensure that the meals that you serve are, in fact, healthy. The fact is, that children who develop a taste for junk food, tend to crave more of it. They will lose the ability to be satisfied by natural fruits and healthy vegetables. These things will seem unusual to them when they are used to feeding on simple sugars and corn syrup. This is why it is important to provide healthy foods often.

A good way to make eating fun is to involve your children in the preparation of the meals. Have them help you when you’re making dinner. Simple things like taking carrots out of the refrigerator and handing them to you. Like putting lettuce in a sink and letting them rinse it. Letting them watch you prepare a salad. If your children help you prepare those healthy meals, they will be more inclined to eat healthy because they were involved in the preparation of the meal they are dining on. There are many things you can do with your children when preparing lunches and dinners that will keep them involved. This again will reinforce your commitment to healthy eating and your commitment that your children follow your example.

WHOLESOME EATING TIPS FOR CHILDREN

1. Create Positive Food Associations: You can do this by explaining the benefits of fruits and vegetables. You can also associate fruits and vegetables with a favorite animal like how rabbits eat veggies and how Monkeys like bananas.

1.  Never force a child to try something: If you force a child to eat something they are not ready for, you can create a negative experience associated with that food item and the child may carry that into their adult life. When you scare children, it activates their fight-or-flight response. This causes the amygdala portion of the brain to override its rational thinking. They will, instead, go into defense mode and have very strong negative impressions of the events. This is one of the biggest mistakes that parents make in creating negative food associations by yelling at their children to finish their peas or carrots.

1.  All Things in Moderation: It is important for yourself to exercise restraint when you are eating and in all other aspects. Too much of anything is not a good thing. Teaching yourself and your child to not overeat is a discipline that will provide great benefits going forward.

1.  Eat Slowly: Taking your time when you eat is of paramount importance. The vast amount of fast-food restaurants has made eating a very unrelaxed activity. It is important to point out that your body needs time to digest your food properly and gobbling down your food in a hurry will cause things like indigestion, heartburn, and other future health issues.

Your children are a precious gift, like your life and your health are precious gifts. It is therefore important that you guard and protect each gift. You should begin implementing good food choices long before you decide to have children. A healthy diet routine that you have been following for a while will be second nature to you and therefore you will be an excellent healthy eating role model for your children.
When it comes to nutrition, you should not stop at selecting the right foods. You should also practice for yourself and teach your children about healthy dieting. If you do this for yourself not only will your health improve, you will have more energy and feel better about yourself, but your children will also adopt these habits and avoid many health ailments that are affecting many adults, and children. Take care of yourself and you will take care of your children as a matter of course.