How to make healthy eating kid friendly
- Category: General Health, Living Well, Parenting, Summer
- Posted on:
- Written By: Selene Muller, Chief Clinical Dietitian
A balanced, healthy diet for kids can be challenging when there’s no fun involved. Ditch the boring everyday dieting and spice up your healthy habits! Keep ideas fresh, involve kids in the kitchen, and use different ingredients to create a healthy eating lifestyle for your little one.
Because healthy eating doesn’t always seem kid friendly, childhood obesity affects today’s children now more than ever before. Research shows that almost 20% of kids suffer from obesity in the United States, and that number on the rise. Obese children can suffer from a wide range of ailments such as type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, joint pain, or even depression in some cases. If not taken seriously, obese children can grow into obese adults— making the weight even harder to lose overtime. Join the fight to end childhood obesity by incorporating fun activities in their healthy eating regimen to create a healthier future for our youth!
Use fresh ideas for meals and snacks to change how your child views a healthy lifestyle. Cook in fun designs or shapes to make the food more appealing and interesting to your little one. Prepare food from different cultures to create a hands-on learning experience during meals! Also, light incentivizing can be a great tool to reward healthy eating. Encourage kids to eat well all day, then allow them to play a game or have a small treat to show them the tangible benefits of a healthy diet.
What are easy ways to make healthy eating more fun?
- Cook with rainbow-colored fruits and vegetables
- Cook or cut food into creative fun shapes
- Mix different flavor combinations
- Grow food together at home
- Go to the grocery store together
- Let kids help you prep and cook the meals
One of the best ways to help kids eat better is to involve them in the kitchen. Kids will be more inclined to try food you make together, so let them give you a hand to benefit their diet and stimulate their skills. Ask what they would like to eat, let them help pick out ingredients in the grocery store, and cook a healthy version of it together to make a difference in how kids see food and its preparation.
It is so important to teach kids about a healthy lifestyle. They grow and live better when they eat better. Keep things light and fun to encourage your child to want to eat better. Make sure you eat meals together, to make them feel supported in their new healthy habits. With these tips, you can have your whole family Living Well-thy!