Kathy Egan
ECB Publishing, Inc.
The time to begin teaching your children how to eat healthy foods is when they begin eating. If you are going to feed your little one soft baby food, there are a few options available. You can choose to make your own soft foods by pureeing them in a blender or food processor, or you can purchase pre-made baby food. Either way, if there is a choice between pudding and green peas, choose the peas. In general, begin your child's food journey by instilling a love of savory flavors and food found in nature.
When kids start feeding themselves, provide as many colors, textures and savory flavors as possible. If your little ones aren't expecting sweet fruit or a cookie at every meal, they are more likely to continue to develop a taste for healthy foods like lean meats and veggies. Add butter and herbs to jazz them up a bit, but coating them in sugar or honey is counterproductive. Also, remember that sometimes young people will “hate” asparagus today but be chomping away on it next week. Keep offering it. They may just change their minds, or their taste buds may change it for them.
Avoid fast food. Fast food, generally speaking, is high in calories, fat, sodium and sugar. Those ingredients contribute to weight gain and obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease and other chronic health conditions. A quick trip to the burger joint for an easy meal once in a blue moon is not terrible and nothing to be overly concerned about, but any more than that is not a good idea. Because they serve meals quickly, the main focus of fast food restaurants tends to be using the fastest possible process, not serving nutritious food. Recent research available from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) suggests that fast food may even be a factor in depression, which is now a major health problem in children, teens and adults. That is not just because of the “bad” ingredients in fast foods, but also because kids who eat fast food fill up on the fries and nuggets, so they don't get much nutrition from healthier foods.
The same NIH study says, “Public health professionals that work to support and motivate healthy eating habits may help prevent and treat depression based on the evidence presented in the results of this study.”
Model healthy eating yourself. Even when you've had a long day, try to avoid stopping for a greasy pizza or a bucket of fried chicken. Make a healthy evening meal a priority, especially since that is often the only meal a family can share together on weeknights. If you find food prepping helpful, try to make it a habit. Sit at the table when eating to avoid mindless noshing on empty calories. Don't encourage kids to “clean their plate,” which has been shown to inhibit kids' understanding of feeling satiated and can sometimes lead to overeating.
Both physical and mental health rely on consuming healthy food. The old adage, “you are what you eat,” has the ring of truth to it. Eating unhealthy foods results in being unhealthy. Eating healthy foods results in being healthier. Encouraging kids to choose the better option is the best way we have of keeping them strong and fit and able to enjoy a lifestyle with fewer ailments.