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Don't place your child on a
restrictive diet, except for medical reasons. Limiting what children
eat may be harmful to their health and interfere with their growth
and development. Instead offer the whole family a wide variety of
foods. Choose nutritious diet from variety of foods: rice, beans and
peas, grains, fruits and vegetables.
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Cut down on the amount of fat in your
family's diet. Reducing fat is a good way to cut calories without
depriving your child of nutrients. Simple ways to cut the fat in
your family's diet include eating low-fat non-fat products (eg:
bread), poultry without skin and lean meats. However, fat should not
be restricted in the diets of children below the age of two.
Children should gradually adopt a diet that contains less fat.
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Avoid eating too much sugar. Sugar
causes tooth decay. The body doesn't need sugar as it digests
starchy food into a form of sugar that provides all the energy it
need.
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Guide your family's choices rather
than dictate foods. Make a wide variety of healthy foods available
in the house. This practice will help your children learn how to
make healthy food choices.
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Encourage your kids to eat
slowly. A child can detect hunger and fullness better when eating
slowly.
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Eat meal together as a family as often
as possible. Try sharing, not a time for scolding or arguing. If
mealtimes are unpleasant, kids may try to eat faster to leave the
table as soon as possible. They may then learn to associate eating
with stress- an initiation to obesity.
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Avoid overeating. The key to healthy
eating is moderation.
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Involve children in food shopping and
meals preparations. These activities offer parents hints about
children's food preferences, teach them about nutrition. This will
provide children with feeling of accomplishment. In addition, kids
may be more willing to eat or try foods that the help prepare.
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Make you own nutritious snacks (eg:
fresh fruits served with nuts or sunflower seeds, breads made of
whole grains, etc)
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discourage eating meals or snacks
while watching TV. This makes it difficult to pay attention to
feelings of fullness, and that may lead to overeating.
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Pack your child's school lunch to
ensure it includes a variety of healthy foods.