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Healthy Eating – Five Habits To Teach Your Children

Grayson, our granddaughter, eating a Georgia  peach and enjoying every bite.

As a parent, you may already be well aware children are infamous for being picky eaters. Your own children may love to snack and enjoy treats, but hate most foods you put before them at mealtimes. Because you cannot simply let your children snack on unhealthy foods all day, you must find a way to improve your children’s diets and promote healthy eating in your household.

These lessons can start when your kids are toddlers and include introducing them to vital dietary elements like whole grains, vegetables, fruits and lean proteins. You can also consider suitable substitutes for whole foods when your kids are persistent in their refusal to eat or when your family is in a rush and needs to eat on the go. Keeping these tips into mind can help you teach your children to be healthy eaters.

Healthy Eating Habit #1 – Set Meal Schedules

Children who are not introduced to established mealtimes often learn it is acceptable to eat anytime of the day when they are hungry. As a result, children gain weight because they may be eating more. In particular, eating foods that are not necessarily the healthiest for them.

Meal timesRather than let your children snack at odd hours, you can reinforce healthy eating habits by establishing times for meals in your house. Consistently serving meals at these established times will help your kids learn to avoid snacking or eating only when they are hungry.

Healthy Eating Habit #2 – Control Portion Sizes

Serving portion

When you take away your kids’ snacking times, you may feel compelled to overcompensate by serving them large portions at meals. However, children do not need adult size portions. Giving them appropriate servings and helping them learn to avoid eating until they are stuffed can reinforce the healthy eating habits your family may need.

Serving Sizes

Healthy Eating Habit #3 – Offer Meal Shakes

Sometimes your children may adamantly refuse to eat or eat healthy food. When your kids are particularly uncooperative or when your family needs to eat in a rush, you may consider utilizing meal replacement shakes.
 
Healthy Eating - Meal Replacement
Unlike ice cream shakes, a meal replacement shake has the required nutrients kids need and do not contain gluten or excessive sugar as other shake products. Your kids will believe they are getting a treat, yet feel satisfied after they drink their meal replacement shakes. These shakes are also easy to pack up and take with you when you are in hurry to get out the door.

Healthy Eating Habit #4 – Eliminate Junk Foods

It can be difficult to reinforce healthy eating when you constantly have junk foods available. Getting rid of the pop, cookies, chips, and other junk food items can teach your kids to desire the healthy foods in your house.

Healthy Eating - More Fruit and Less Junk

If they know treats are in the house, they will want those instead of healthier options.

Healthy Eating Habit #5 – Plan a Week Ahead

Healthy Eating - Plan Ahead

You may not realize it, but planning ahead can reduce the amount of unhealthy meals you serve to your family. If you take the time to plan out a menu in advance, you can make sure you incorporate all of the dietary components your children need. If you wait until the last minute to serve meals, you may rely on fatty foods in your haste to serve your family their meal.

These tips can help you teach your children healthy eating habits. Using meal replacement shakes, as well as planning ahead and utilizing other strategies can instruct your children in how to be healthy eaters throughout their lives.

Lisa Coleman shares some tips on how to help improve a child’s eating habits, and encourages establishing a routine to healthy eating when children are very young. She encourages the use of a healthy meal replacement shake, like Prograde, when in a rush, or when your child refuses to eat, to ensure their bodies receive the appropriate nutritional needs.
 
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