Have you ever heard “happy tummy, happy life“? That’s true for everyone. No matter if you’re 4 or 40. It’s easy for parents to make their tummies happy. But what about children, especially preschoolers (4-5 years old)? They still need you. They can’t make healthy food for themself.
The food you give them today will show its impact years after. So why not provide them with the best nutrition and healthy life?
As a parent, you must regularly provide nutritious food. Your kids might not like that, especially when seeing many mouthwatering restaurants. So what do you do then? Here we give you eight tips for parents of preschoolers to keep providing and motivating kids to eat healthily.
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8 Tips for Parents
Provide a variety of healthy foods
Eating healthy starts with you. Get used to eating nutritious food long before giving birth to the child. That will keep you and the baby to come healthy. Continue this eating habit even after giving birth to your newborn. That will ensure both you and your baby stays healthy. It will also ensure that your baby gets used to eating healthy food. After all, babies copy what their elders do.
Fresh fruits and vegetables, low-fat dairy products (yogurt, cheeses, etc.), protein, and whole-grain cereals are all healthy options for your kid.
The idea is never to stick to one food type for long. For example, keep a different lunch menu every day. You may also add a variety of food types to your kid’s lunchbox.
Encourage children to clean up their plates
It’s pretty common for kids to leave their plates with leftovers. Reduce the food portion if your child is doing that, encouraging them to clean their plates.
Do a similar thing when providing your child with lunch for school.
What if they still come up with leftovers? How about rewarding them with something they like to eat or do?
Encourage your children to eat with the family
Eating with family serves multiple purposes:
- They’ll observe everyone on the table eating healthy and will do the same.
- They’ll adapt your eating etiquettes.
- They’ll witness the quality time and prefer eating with the family.
- They’ll also learn new words and how to communicate with others effectively.
You should place dining rules, so the young ones could adopt those and become a good person.
Turn off the TV while eating
Nutritionists suggest focusing on the food you eat. Turn off the TV and put away the gadgets so you and your baby can focus only on their food.
Using gadgets or watching TV while eating may slow the eating pace. Your child might feel satisfied just after eating a half plate of food. Where we suggest keeping a little space in the tummy, keeping it too empty isn’t suitable for growing kids.
Lastly, the commercials on the TV or smart gadgets may encourage eating unhealthy. That may lead to a complete turnaround from eating healthy.
Avoid processed foods and sugary beverages
There’s a continuous battle between eating healthy and eating unhealthy. While trying to encourage giving the best healthy food to your child, you’re in a constant battle with those promoting unhealthy food.
As said previously, to turn off the TV and gadgets while eating, it’s also necessary that no one at home eats junk food or unhealthy food in front of the children. You all must stop eating unhealthy. That isn’t good for no one.
Water and milk are the best drinks
The calcium and vitamin D in milk helps build strong bones. Ice cream can be enjoyed occasionally, but not every day.
Whole fruit is better than juice, even if it’s 100% juice. Juice is high in sugar and low in fiber. Make juice from 100% fruit and limit it to 4 oz. or less a day. Juice should be consumed with meals, as it is more likely that juice will cause cavities.
Avoid drinking water with food
Water is good for your health, but not good right before you eat, during the meal, and right after the meal. It’s suggested to drink water at least half an hour before your meal, no or little water during the meal, and not a single sip right after the meal.
We also suggest diving the food into three portions:
- One portion water
- One portion meal
- One part of air (leaving the table before the stomach is full)
Create your own dishes
We all love eating junk and unhealthy food. Kids are most likely to be the victim. Saving your kid from bad eating habits is one of your primary responsibilities.
I remember how my sister used to give healthy food to her daughters. As always, her children wanted to eat junk and other unhealthy foods. She started replicating dishes, replacing unhealthy ingredients with healthy ones. She came up with her own menu of healthy food items.
She also encouraged her daughters to stay with her while cooking food. That developed a sense of good and healthy food in her daughters.
Eating healthy while cooking with your kids
Worried if Your Child Doesn’t Eat Healthily?
Have you tried everything for your preschooler to eat healthily but all in vain? Don’t worry. We have specialized pediatric nutritionists at our premises who’ll help you and your child eliminate unhealthy eating habits and start eating well.
For more details, book an appointment with one of our pediatricians.
