Help Your Child Eat Healthy

It is very important to keep a track of what children eat these days especially considering the rate of obesity seen across the globe. The most vital aspect of healthy eating is portion control and cutting down on fatty foods. Given below is a list of things that a parent should take care of when serving meals so that children can maintain a healthy weight and normal growth.

1. Let your little one consume low-fat dairy products, lean meat, whole grain breads, and cereals, eventually cutting down the intake of sugar sweetened drinks and salt.
2. Avoid giving whole nuts to children under the age of 5, they may choke on them. However, it is okay to have peanut butter and chopped nuts on condition that they aren't allergic.
3. Do not dictate foods instead implement them yourself to see the change in your child. Thus, share mealtimes and have the same healthy foods.
4. Ask your child to eat as slowly as possible.
5. Since your toddler attends preschool make sure you know what their nursery meal program is if you don't find it healthy enough you can always pack it yourself.
6. If tinned food is being served make sure you have read the food labels thoroughly.
7. Substitute junk food with as many fruits and vegetables you can.
8. Similarly, toddlers should be fed more water because over eating and excess consumption of sweetened drinks and sodas may spoil the teeth and of course add to the weight.
9. Plan a munching time. Continuous noshing may lead to overindulgence and thus add to the weight. Nevertheless, when your child is hungry in between meals serve fruits, raw vegetables, low-fat biscuits, yogurt, etc.

10. A child's eating habits should involve eating meals together as a family. Encourage this by talking pleasantly and not about school or homework. If the conversation turns out to be distasteful, children may try to eat quickly so as to leave the table.

11. Involve your children in shopping for groceries and preparing meals. When you do so you will get a sneak peek into what your children like and dislike. In return, you will get to know how they like their veggies to be served. Additionally, it will give you a chance to teach them about nutritional foods and their importance.

Last, but not the least at no time will you serve food as a bribe i.e. do not punish or reward with food. If you hold back food as a punishment children will try and eat as much as they can while they get food. Likewise, when desserts and sweets are served for being good, children will attach more value to these than healthy foods. This way, you will be giving a very wrong message about vegetables and fruits. So, don't do it.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/education-articles/help-your-child-eat-healthy-6564635.html

The Kensington Nursery is managed by Jane Gammage, a dedicated and seasoned educator with more than a decade's experience in education and the British Early Years Foundation Stage. Jane is supported by our international team of teachers and teaching assistants, all of whom hold relevant vocational qualifications; she enjoys yielding ideas on topic such as kitchen nursery Dubai or Dubai Nursery Schools