How many times have you heard your child say, “I don’t have time to eat” as they run out the door on the way to school? Have you stopped for fast food on the way to a sports practice, game, or other kid-related activity?
We’re all so busy running here and there that we often forget the importance of eating a balanced diet to keep our bodies going and maintain a healthy lifestyle. We know we should be eating a variety of proteins and fiber-rich vegetables and fruits each day, but how many of us are actually getting all the nutrients we need?
“The best way to promote healthy eating habits children is to be a healthy role model by eating healthy yourself, serving a variety of foods and snacks, and getting kids involved in the process when it comes to choosing and preparing their food.”
When it comes to our children, these nutrients are essential to their growth and development. So how do we go about promoting good food and a lifestyle that ensures their long-term well-being?
“Healthy eating habits start at home,” asserts Kimberly Brown, PN L1, a certified nutrition coach at Farm Fresh and Active in Townsend. “The key is to focus on your lifestyle, not your diet. As parents, we need to make better choices when it comes to what we’re eating because our kids are going to mirror everything we do. If we’re not eating fruits and vegetables on a regular basis, it will be a lot harder to get our kids to eat them.”
“Behavior plays a major role in healthy eating,” says Cindra Holland, RDN, LDN, CWNC, a registered dietitian nutritionist at Healthy You Nutrition LLC in Middletown. “The best way to promote healthy eating habits in children is to be a healthy role model by eating healthy yourself, serving a variety of foods and snacks, and getting kids involved in the process when it comes to choosing and preparing their food.”
In addition to figuring out what our kids should be eating, it’s important to plan ahead so food is readily available when we need it and we don’t cave to the temptation for quick convenience foods.
“Meal planning doesn’t have to be stressful,” Holland says. “It can be as simple as having a magnetic board on the side of the refrigerator listing what you’ll be having for dinner that week, cooking meals in advance, storing food in the freezer for easy access, and having kids put snack bags together for themselves that they can grab as needed.”
Keeping healthy staples on hand so you don’t have to run out to the grocery store every time you want to prepare a meal is also advisable.
“Life is so busy and chaotic that most people don’t take the time to stop and get organized when it comes to meal planning,” Brown says. “Get your kids involved in the process when it comes to choosing and preparing food, [and] pick a day to cook some meals for the week.”
With a little planning and effort, the following strategies can help encourage smart eating habits and improve the health and well-being of the whole family.
Be a Role Model for Your Kids
If you eat healthfully, your kids will follow your lead. Consume a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables, lean protein, and whole grains, and avoid overindulging in prepackaged, overprocessed snacks. “We get in the habit of stocking our pantries with foods that are filled with preservatives and aren’t healthy for our kids,” Brown points out. “Kids become reliant on grabbing prepackaged bags of snacks—they’re not going to stop to make themselves a chicken salad sandwich or cut up some carrot sticks, because it’s not quick and easy for them.”
Involve Children in Meal Planning
Giving kids a sense of ownership in what they eat encourages them to try new things. “Kids often enjoy picking out food in the grocery store and learning how to cook with their parents,” Holland notes. “There’s a wonderful feeling that kids can get from accomplishing something on their own—boiling a pot of water to make hard-boiled eggs under parent supervision or putting together their own snack bags to grab when they’re hungry. Kids are much more likely to eat something they’ve chosen for themselves and were involved in making.” Involving children in grocery shopping also helps them learn how to read food labels and understand what to look for and what to avoid, such as foods high in sugar, preservatives, or artificial flavoring.
Eat Together as a Family
Family meals provide a great opportunity for parents to introduce children to new foods and be role models for healthy eating, as well as to encourage conversation and bond. “The best way to promote healthy eating habits for kids is to have scheduled times for breakfast, lunch, and dinner… whenever possible,” Holland says. “If you’re running in different directions after school with kids’ activities, plan for snacks in the afternoon or bring a cooler with sandwiches they can grab on the way to a sports practice or event. It’s much healthier than stopping for fast food or skipping a meal altogether.”
Keep Healthy Snacks on Hand
When they’re hungry, children will eat whatever they can grab easily. Offer a variety of fresh fruit, bite-size vegetables and dips, yogurt, trail mix, hummus, popcorn, and nuts. “It’s important to create an environment at home where kids have healthy snacking options that are just as easy to grab as a prepackaged bag of snacks. You can also put together protein options like cubed chicken, meatballs, or peanut butter with crackers or bananas,” Brown adds.
Don’t Argue About Food
Don’t allow food to become a source of conflict, which could lead to disordered eating habits later on. “Eating should be a pleasant experience for you and your kids,” Holland says. “Let kids choose their foods and how much they want to eat rather than arguing about the need to eat everything on their plate or bribing them to eat something they don’t like. If you have an extremely picky eater and nothing else works, you may want to reach out to a dietitian or practitioner that offers behavior therapy or has knowledge in that area.” If your child has specific dietary needs or restrictions, a pediatrician or dietitian can help ensure your child’s diet is healthy and balanced.
In addition to creating healthy eating habits, parents should be aware of food additives and preservatives that can interfere with children’s hormones, growth, and development, and in some cases raise a child’s risk of obesity.
More than 10,000 additives are approved by the FDA to preserve, package, or modify the taste, look, texture, or nutrients in food. Increasing evidence suggests some chemicals used as additives should be avoided, especially when it comes to children. The American Academy of Pediatrics notes that children may be particularly susceptible to the effects of these additives. They can have an impact on the endocrine system, which controls growth, puberty, and fertility hormones.
“While the concern about chemicals in food is important, we need to focus on what we can control,” Holland says. “Always wash your fruits and vegetables completely and use a vegetable brush to scrub off any waxy residue on produce, like cucumbers. You still want to get as much of the fiber and antioxidants as possible.”
Holland adds that organic doesn’t always mean chemical-free or optimal. “If an item sits out too long in the grocery store, even if it’s organic, it loses a lot of its nutritional value,” she explains. “Increasing our intake of fruits and vegetables, whether they’re organic or not, will give us, and our kids, the antioxidants we need to protect us.” Live near a farm or orchard, or have room for a backyard garden? Fresh from the ground is always ripest, and best.
For families on a budget (and who isn’t?), frozen items can offer just as much nutritional value. “There are many alternative options to help families afford healthy eating,” Brown says. “I encourage people to utilize their freezer, buy frozen fruits and vegetables when they’re on sale and stock up, and start making more food from scratch. Buy flour, baking soda, honey, or whatever ingredients you need. Look for recipes that make big batches of snack bars that are healthier than prepackaged granola bars or make your own waffles and freeze them to heat up and eat later. You can save a lot of money with premade food and snacks, and you have the benefit of knowing the ingredients and being able to control what goes into your food.”
“As parents, we need to make better choices when it comes to what we’re eating because our kids are going to mirror everything we do. If we’re not eating fruits and vegetables on a regular basis, it will be a lot harder to get our kids to eat them.”
“When you focus on healthy eating as a family, it becomes a lifestyle change,” says Brown. “Your kids will realize that healthy food will make them strong and help them stay fit, they’ll feel better and sleep better, and they’ll develop healthy habits that will last a lifetime.”
Does Your Child Need a Supplement?
Children who follow vegetarian or vegan diets may need to supplement with vitamin B12, which is found naturally only in animal-based foods, like meat, poultry, fish, and eggs. In addition, those with celiac disease are at a higher risk for nutritional deficiencies and might need supplements. Overall, even a healthy diet today doesn’t provide the same abundance of essential minerals and vitamins it once did, due to depleted soil and other environmental factors. Talk to your pediatrician or nutritionist about potentially enhancing your kids’ health with probiotics and other supplements.
Related: Physical Activity Supports Children’s Overall Health, According to Delaware Experts
