Are you one of the millions of parents, who tried their best to get their children to eat healthily, but ultimately failed? Don’t worry, it’s common for parents to fall at the first hurdle and get their children to swap their chocolate bar for a fruit bar. It’s also something that you have to accept, won’t be a solve-and-forget kind of concern. You have to make it a part of their lifestyle if you want them to eat healthily. So you also need to change the way you live, the kinds of groceries you buy, and your cooking skills at home. Rest assured if you do the following things, the payoff will be so worth it.
Become their role model
A child can only think something is normal if he or she sees other people doing it and learns from them. You are their parents, they spend the majority of their time with you, so of course, you’re their main source of copying. You need to become their role model, by eating healthy yourself. Instead of a chocolate bar or a bag of chips for a snack, you make yourself a fruit salad or a bowl of Greek yogurt. Your child will slowly learn from you and the flavors of healthy food will become normal. Far too many parents want their children to get excited about healthy food and motivated to eat healthily. But, the real trick is, to make healthy eating normal and junk food abnormal.
Cook more at home
Parents are incredibly busy, and this means they can struggle to cook at home for the majority of the week. However, you cannot buy ready-meals and just throw them in the oven, thinking that has solved the problem. You need to cook from scratch and include your children in the process. If you’re making healthy hash browns, get your child to grate the potatoes. If you’re making a vegetable quiche, get your child to whip the eggs or grate the cheese. If they’re old enough, get them to cut up the vegetables you’ll be using as a topping. You should also make it about family bonding time. Buy a recipe book together, and then 5 days out of the week, you will get together to prepare and cook the meals at home.
The benefits of green juice
Children don’t just develop a dislike for all things green, it is essentially taught to them one way or another. But according to Kurbo, you can introduce healthy eating habits to your children, in the form of green juices or smoothies. Many kids get caught up in diet trends and one way to stop it is to let them make their own healthy drinks. Children should select whatever kind of fruit they want next time you’re at the grocery store and then come home to put them into your juicer. You can also make summer drinks with a bit of crushed ice and fruit juices in a tall glass, with a straw to make it more fun.
Never accept that children naturally hate green vegetables and fruits. Nothing is inherent within us, we’re all taught it either by our parents or via our lifestyle. You can make positive changes to your children’s lives, but you need to change first!