Raising healthy kids is a challenge for many parents, nowadays food fad has made it difficult for parents to choose healthy food for their kids. A better understanding of what it means to eat healthily might help deciding portions and menus for your kids.

Following these simple guidelines will make it easier for you to decide healthy diet and thus maintain the healthy weight of your kids. 

Here are top ten (10) useful tips for parents to raise healthy kids :

You can be selective with supplies

Buying and serving food is always in your hands. As a parent, you decide what to buy and the best time to serve it. Kids may bother you to buy unhealthy food, but it is your thing to decide what to stock in the house to eat. At the time of hunger, kids may not go hungry, they will eat available food in the fridge or cabinet. Even though their favorite food or snack is less nutritious, you can sometimes buy it so that your kids may not feel deprived.

Offer choices in the food you make

Every kid is conscious about eating, when you offer choices in the food to your kids, they feel happier. You can also make a meal plan of their choices according to what you offer them. Letting them choose their meal plan and the portion they eat would make them happier, and they will feel a bit of freedom.

Stop using the “Clean the Plate” rule

When kids have eaten enough, they will leave the plate no matter how much food is left there. Many parents grow up under this rule, but we should remember that all kids have different food needs. It is difficult for them to eat more than their body requires. So, urging to eat a bite more or clean the plate may not be helpful for healthy growth.

Eating Habits from Early age

You can start developing food habits at a young age so that they will be familiar with the variety of healthy food. They will start recognizing taste; thus, they will develop likes and dislikes. Kids take some time to accept new food, therefore you may serve new food at different times. Remember! do not force to eat but at least a few bites.

Tips for parents to raise healthy kids - kidsinkare - Texas daycare

Let kids try something new

Kids do not only want to eat Zingers, Hot dogs, Pizza, fries, and all junk food at restaurants. Kids may try something new if you let them decide. You can share your food as well as order an appetizer for them to try. They may be amazed and happy to try your food and make a different choice each time going out. 

Calories count for Drink 

Sweetened drinks and Sodas are not a good choice of nutrition. They are high in calories instead, you can replace them with water and milk. Juice is also a good choice when it is pure or homemade; however, 4 to 6 ounces is sufficient for preschoolers for a whole day. 

Offer Sweets at the end of the food

Keeping dessert as a surprise at the end of dinner is a motivation for children to eat dinner. Try to keep dessert different occasionally, letting kids know about sweets before dinner may turn dessert into the main course because kids prefer sweets over veg and other food.

Do not make food the reason for love. 

Rewarding food at every good deed is not helpful in healthy development. Kids may start using food to cope with stress and change their emotions or mood. Instead, find other ways to appreciate like, hugs, attention, and admiration.

Kids follow you

If you eat healthy yourself, your kids will adopt healthy eating habits because kids do as you do. Setting the best possible examples is the only way to teach children good eating habits. Be a role model and make nutritious food choices at the table and avoid meal skipping.  

Set time for TV and computer

Try finding healthy activities for kids instead of TV and computer. When you limit this time, you will automatically help children find other useful activities, more so they will avoid untimely snacking. Abridging TV and computer time also reduce the percentage of fats in the body of children according to research. In addition to this limiting screen time will give you more active time to spend together.