Healthy eating habits for kids: tips for parents

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The quality of nutrition determines the immunity, physical and mental development of the child, as well as his or her eating behaviour in adulthood. The child’s diet should adequately provide the growing body with sufficient proteins, fats, carbohydrates, and vitamins. In short, healthy eating habits for kids should be formed early – and by example, set by parents or carers.

How can parents build a strong foundation of healthy eating habits that their children will follow for life?

It’s important to understand: Your child won’t always be there for you. Up to the age of one or two, you can control what your baby eats. But the older your child will be, the more often he will eat outside the home: at nursery, school, or on a walk with friends. So it is important not to ban a child from certain foods but to teach him/her to make his/her own choice in favour of high-quality, nutritious, and healthy options. That is possible by forming healthy eating habits in the family. 

A healthy diet is essential for adults and children alike. After all, it is more than a diet for healthy bodies. It is a way of life that helps us to be active and energetic. Many people think children usually don’t like vegetables and healthy foods – but this is not true. Many of them are simply imitating their parents’ behaviour in their eating habits. A baby keeps a close eye on what his parents are eating, and when they give him something else, there can be a protest!

So, to teach your child to eat healthy food, start with yourself because it is worth setting an example. Explain the rules of healthy eating and follow them. It will definitely benefit your physical and emotional well-being.

Vegetables and fruit in your diet are the basis

It is known that for a balanced diet, half of your diet should consist of fruits and vegetables. The rule of the healthy plate also tells us this.

So, try adding at least 400 grams of fruits and vegetables to your daily diet. 

Just make a salad for breakfast, have an apple for lunch, grab some cauliflower for dinner, and bake some vegetables in the oven for dinner. Voila! you’ve met your daily quota.

Less salt and sugar

We know that salt and sugar will only whet our appetite, and the child no longer wants healthy food. So stick to the rule that everything must be in balance. Therefore, you should buy only as many sweets as you can give to your children. That way, you won’t have to forbid them to “eat one more candy.”

Keep an eye on the quantity and quality of snacks

 If your child eats a lot during the day, he or she will not be hungry in time for lunch or dinner. Snacking suppresses the natural sense of hunger and interferes with normal digestion. It is sensible to allow small children two snacks and senior school students, one. It is a good idea that they also consist of healthy foods: nuts, dried fruit, yogurt, or quality baby food such as HiPP oatmeal.

Please don’t force your kids to eat foods they dislike

If a child does not eat a particular product, do not get hung up on it and try to cram it in at all costs. Another vegetable or fruit, rich in the same beneficial vitamins and trace elements, will do a great job as a substitute.

Make up a meal plan

Rituals make children’s lives clear and consistent, and parents save time and energy. In addition, a clear routine helps avoid endless snacks, and eating at the same time contributes to better digestion. It is optimal to make the intervals between meals of 4-5 hours and not to have dinner right before going to bed. At night, the body should rest and recuperate, not digest.