Instilling Healthy Eating Habits in Your Kids

We hear it all the time. The struggle is real when it comes to helping kids eat healthily and develop good habits. But good eating habits, when learned early in life, can last a lifetime and create such a health benefit that it is worth the effort. But there are some ways to make it more fun to instill healthy eating habits in your kids, and hopefully less of a battle. At Central Ozarks Medical Center our mission is to improve the overall health of the citizens in the communities we serve, especially children. So today’s blog is dedicated to five ways to help your child learn some healthy eating habits at a young age.

1) Get them involved.
The more kids are involved in what they eat, often, the less resistant they are. If a kid is told what to eat, and never feels like they have a choice, it can become a power struggle that has nothing to do with the food in front of them. That is why several of our tips today will be about how to let your child feel like they have more of a choice. In the process, they can also develop a sense of responsibility and understanding about the foods they eat and how to choose wisely.

2) Let them choose the menu.
When we say let them choose the menu, we don’t mean give them a choice of anything in the world that they want to eat. But give them a choice of three different (healthy) entrée options and let them decide which one they would like the most. That way they don’t feel like they have to resist someone imposing a decision on them because they are part of the decision. You still have input, and even better you can have a conversation about why they chose that dish and the benefits of each dish. This is where you have an opportunity to teach about things like fiber, raw fruits, and vegetables, whole foods, good and bad fats, etc.

3) Have them help with the shopping.
Bring your kids along with you to the grocery store! Let them see the ingredients that go in the dish, select the best looking fruits or vegetables for the dish, and even get a feel for what things cost. This is a great opportunity to teach your kids how to compare prices, how to look for quality, the difference between regular vegetables and organic vegetables, and also how to read labels! These are all skills that they will be able to use for the rest of their lives.

4) Teach them how to cook.
This is where it really all comes together and gives kids a sense of independence and an excitement for learning. When you take the ingredients they chose for the meal they selected, and you teach them how to prepare and cook that meal with you walking along right beside them, it can completely change how that meal feels to your kid when it comes to dinner time. That meal represents time spent together, bonding, learning, and a feeling of independence. In reality, they only had a “choice” between three different meals, but they participated in every step along the way. So they are invested in the final product, and less resistant to enjoying it. Best of all, they’ll have the confidence of knowing how to cook that meal for themselves or someone else, for the rest of their lives.

5) Grow a garden.
If you want to take it to a whole new level, think about growing a garden with your child. The same level of investment and bonding and growth and learning that we talked about just in helping to select and cook a meal, can be exponential when the child is actually helping to produce the food they are selecting, cooking, and eating. For them to understand exactly where the food in the grocery store comes from and how it is grown can totally change how they feel about eating produce. You can even save on your grocery bill and know you are getting a clean and healthy vegetable from your garden.

Have fun with your kid!
Every one of these tips is really an invitation to have fun and interact with your child. The bonus is by focusing on these activities, you can potentially help shape their eating habits and the way they feel about food for life. Even if you can’t do all five, it is still valuable to do what you can. Because every little bit can help make your child feel more invested and less resistant. As a parent, you’re doing great to help in any way you can to instill healthy eating habits for your child. We encourage you to keep at it and have FUN with it! Always remember that small steps added up can create big change! For all of your mental, dental, and health care service providers in central Missouri and Lake of the Ozarks, browse our website at http://www.centralozarks.org/ to see how we can serve you. To hear all of our latest tips and information about health care in mid-Missouri, we invite you to follow us on social media! We have our links below for your convenience.

Central Ozarks Medical Center

Keeping Lack of Insurance From Being a Roadblock to Quality Healthcare