Getting the Kids Involved in Nutrition!
What can be better than changing the way you eat and live your life to become healthier? Passing what you’ve learned on to someone else to change theirs! Teaching your children early on about healthy eating and nutrition can be the most influential because they haven’t been exposed to the incredible amount of misinformation that is out there yet. By setting a great example and giving them an understanding of why we should eat certain things and why we should stay away from others, can give them a lasting impression to take throughout their growing years and hopefully whole lives. Here are some tips to get your kids involved in good nutrition:
Make it fun! Children have huge imaginations, put them to use! When teaching kids about a specific topic such as fruit and vegetables, why not make your own cooking tv show. Put your aprons on, get the ingredients and equipment out, and talk your child through the steps, having them be your assistant. Drawing, painting, and acting out any lesson will give the child a better chance of remembering what they learned rather than if you just sat them down with information. Have some fun!
Simplify it! You wouldn’t necessarily use the same language you use talking to an adult as you would a child, so remember to make concepts easier for them to understand by breaking them down. While it is great for a child to learn that calcium and vitamin D help to build strong teeth and bones, they don’t necessarily need to know about medical complications such as osteoporosis and rickets.
Use the real world! The world is a child’s playground. Have a scavenger hunt at the grocery store, go to your local farmer’s market and have the child pick out produce they have never tried before, or teach them what they need for their growing bodies after they participate in a sports game.
Never say “can’t have” or “bad food”- These negative connotations with food and diet can also negatively affect them later on in life such as with eating disorders and disordered eating habits.
Stay tuned for information to come on my new Children’s Nutrition Education Program Series geared towards young children. Parents will learn how to keep their kids healthy during their precious one’s most crucial years of growth. This program combines information on physical activity with subsets of lessons derived at every aspect of health from teaching kids how calcium in milk makes their bones strong to knowing how to incorporate the different food groups with optimal nutrition. This program incorporates games to interact with and teach kids how they can take charge and steer their health in the right direction for years to come.
What can you do today to ensure your children are receiving the best of health that nutrition has to offer?
Thanks for your tips. Now days most of kids are addicted for fast food. So, it is very necessary to plan a proper diet routine. Your tutorial is very helpful for me.
I’m so glad this post was helpful to you!