5 LIFESTYLE HABITS TO RAISE HEALTHY KIDS

“To raise a healthy tree, plant the seed well”, they say. Kids are the seeds when raised correctly grow up to be healthy adults. Since most chronic diseases have their roots in childhood, it is of prime importance to teach kids the importance of healthy eating right from a young age.

As children start attending school and their work load and activity increases, it’s as important as ever to establish healthy eating habits in and out of our homes. Many children, as they cross the age of six, begin to assert their foodie-will more than ever. They may reiterate that they only want to eat the thing they like, rather than eat different preparation of food. They may also seem to not care about skipping meals or eating very little when food is not prepared as per their current cravings. They may also be influenced by peers and advertising and be drawn by packaged foods or fast foods which do not have much nutritional value.

In such scenarios, arguing about food choices and trying to force down another spoon of peas is a waste of emotional effort. Instead, what keeps us going, on the nutrition bandwagon, is our reserve or parental patience. Trying not to make a huge issue out of eating and yet re-offering healthy choices, albeit in different ways, is a good plan.

1. SET AN EXAMPLE

Healthy parents raise healthy kids more efficiently. A child adapts good eating habits only when he watches his family do the same. Start by choosing whole grain meals, use more vegetables in each meal, reach out for a fruit when hungry, limited eating out to once a week, choose a piece of chocolate instead of a cake, bake your cookies at home and most importantly – enjoy the process of eating healthy!

2. STOCK WISELY

Snack time is the meal where children reach out for packaged food. Stock up your kitchen stores wisely with home made goodies, crackers, veggie sticks + dip, trail mixes, fruit yoghurts and freshly squeezed juices.

3. MINIMIZE, SUBSTITUTE AND NOT AVOID

Forbidding a food item completely causes children to retaliate. The best way to wean them off packaged food is to minimize the frequency and gradually wean them off it. Another effective way to avoid junk food cravings is to substitute those foods with homemade healthier options eg. tofu burger, multigrain pizza, baked potato wedges etc.

4. PROVIDE VARIATION

Children tend to get disinterested in a particular food/ food group if fed with the same meal for a long time. Providing variations in meal choices is an important as using a particular food group in different preparations. Eg. using a roti as a wrap, quesadilla or stuffed paratha; using spinach as subzi, soup, puree, dip or suffing.

5. INVOLVE CHILDREN

Involving kids in planning their meals is the best know method to get them curious about what’s cooking. Ask them to choose a meal dish from the options available, to identify the ingredients used in a particular preparation, get them to cook simple recipes with you and educate them on the various food ingredients while cooking with them.