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Good Eating Habits for Kids |
Good Eating Habits for Kids
You may worry about whether your kid
is eating enough. Or you may be worried that your child is eating too much and
overweight at a healthy weight.
As a parent you give your child
healthy food and opportunities to consume it. Deciding how much food your child
has to eat or what to eat.
It is normal for children to
change their appetite from day to day. Sometimes your child wants to eat a lot just
make sure that you fill him with healthy food. The second time he would not
want to eat. Try not to worry, as he is almost certainly ready for the next
meal or even the next day.
If your child does not want to
eat, do not try to force them to eat or give rewards. Forcing him to eat
teaches him not to listen to his hunger.
If your child is growing and
developing well, he is probably getting enough to eat.
'Tummy talk' and healthy food
Understanding the way your baby's
stomach interacts with its brain can help you deal with your child's concerns
of eating more or less.
For example, your child's brain
realizes that his stomach is full about 20 minutes after his stomach is full.
Also, your child's hunger is partly determined by how physically active he is
and whether he has eaten much in the last few days.
Overeating
If you are concerned that your
baby has a tendency to overfeed, then here are some things:
Offer a small portion of food. If
your child accomplishes this, you can help a little. This gives a chance to
hold your baby's brain and stomach.
If your child does not eat part
of the meal - for example, vegetarian - this is his choice. It is not good to
provide an additional serving of other foods - for example, meat - for missing
meat.
Serve your baby's food on a small
plate. In this way he gets the right size portion but still gets a full plate
of food.
Avoid distracting like a TV or
toys during meals. This will help your child focus on his or her hunger.
Under Eating
If you feel that your child is
not eating food or you are not hungry, you can try the following strategy:
Offer food around the same time
each day. If children eat regularly, they are more likely to feel hungry at
that time.
Encourage your child to eat more
at meal time by ensuring small amounts of food at snack time. Your child needs
small regular healthy snacks for energy top-up, but if there are too many
snacks or they are too big, they can fill them up before the main meal.
Avoid giving your child a choice
if he or she does not eat. Your child may have some hunger at this time.
Healthy eating and the food messages for your child
Healthy eating habits begin at
home.
It is important to give your
child a healthy
nutritious diet. It also helps to surround your child with healthy eating
habits and messages about food. This can help your child make healthy food
choices.
Here are some ideas:
Try to have a bowl full of fresh
fruits within easy view and arrive at the kitchen table or bench. You can give
fruits as breakfast or if your child is still hungry after meals.
Stock your pantry and fridge with
lots of healthy, nutritious options, and sometimes leave food on supermarket
shelves.
Try to choose fruits and
vegetables of different colors, textures and flavors - the more variety there
is, the more likely your child will find something that he is interested in
eating.
Involve your child in planning
and preparing food. If your child has helped to make food, he is more likely to
eat it.
Enjoy healthy meals together with
a family as often as possible. Look for opportunities to have breakfast and
dinner together on weekends.
Turn off the TV while eating.
This way your child concentrates on food and likes fresh healthy food that you
offer.
Read books with healthy food
messages for your child for example, books with pictures of fruits and
vegetables. Get your child to indicate different types, colors, sizes, and so
on. These Good Eating Habits for Kids are good for Kids health.
In this article, we discussed
about Good Eating Habits for Kids, so you can try it.
Read More:
Healthy Foods to Eat
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