As a parent, there are a lot of things you can do to keep your children healthy. When your child was a baby, you may have asked “does baby food have preservatives” so that you could make the best food decisions. As your child gets older, nutrition is a huge part of boosting the immune system, controlling weight, and keeping your child generally healthy. However, you can only control so much. The key is to raise your child to want to eat healthy, and there are various ways to do so.
1. Teaching Your Child the Importance of Nutrition
As soon as your child is old enough to understand, begin teaching him or her about good nutrition and why you should eat healthy foods. Explain that it helps prevent sickness and that making good decisions results in a strong, fast, and healthy body. Beginning healthy habits early will ensure they will continue, even when the child is faced with not-so-good food choices.
2. Acting as a Role Model for Your Child
Children follow their parent’s lead very closely, even when they are teenagers. Be a good role model and make better food choices, either when eating out or cooking at home. Demonstrate that eating healthy can be fun and delicious.
3. Introducing Variety
Not every child is going to like every healthy thing that you put in front of them. Introduce new foods regularly, and make sure to buy a wide variety of colors of fruits and vegetables. This allows children to try a bunch of different things and figure out what they like.
Keep in mind that it also can take many times of trying a food before a child accepts it. So do not give up after one time. Continue to introduce them at meals and in different variations. And if a new food seems to bother your baby, give Wellements gripe water to relieve stomach distress.
4. Involving Them in the Preparation Process
Kids love to be involved in “adult” things, and if you involve them in grocery shopping and cooking, this increases the chances that they will continue to make good choice throughout their lives. Help them make a grocery list by asking them what types of foods they would like that week. Take them to the store with you and help them pick out the pepper or apple that looks the best.
Depending on their age, you can also involve them in the prep and cooking steps. They could wash the produce, stir the sauce, or even cut up vegetables with a non-slip knife.
5. Giving Them Control
The more choices you allow your child to make, the better the chance that healthy eating will be enjoyable. Let him or her pick out a new vegetable, or ask them to choose between chicken or beef for the main entree.
Giving them control also means not forcing them to eat something. Encourage them to always try something, but if they do not like it, that is ok. And do not worry if your child is going through a phase where nothing seems to be good. You can always supplement with vitamins andĀ Wellements probiotic drops in the meantime.
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