| I was horrified yesterday during a trip to the | | | | age, it will make it much easier to keep them eating |
| supermarket. I saw an 8-10 year old boy arguing with | | | | healthy in the future. These early years are a critical |
| his mother to get a small carton of a well known cola | | | | time in their lives. Think about this when you are |
| drink included in the family's shopping trolley. Nothing | | | | feeding your children each day. You are molding them |
| special about that but guess what - he was way | | | | to some degree. |
| overweight. | | | | What should you eat? Well, if you are trying to get |
| That lead me to think about the issue of parental | | | | healthy eating started in your home, here are some |
| responsibility and healthy eating for kids. | | | | foods you should move toward. |
| Many parents seem to find it easier to give into the | | | | - All fresh vegetables and fruits are recommended. |
| nagging and whingeing of our children - I know I do at | | | | The reality is you should be consuming four to six |
| times. Instead we let them to dive into the world of | | | | servings of these each day. Most people do not do |
| processed foods, soft drinks, fizzy drinks and | | | | this, but try and eat as many as you can. |
| unhealthy fast food at an age where they are | | | | - Healthy eating for kids also involves these foods |
| incapable of making good decisions about their eating. | | | | whole grains like whole wheat bread and brown rice. |
| One of the main reasons our children choose these | | | | - Oatmeal or wheat biscuits make wonderful |
| unhealthy foods is because they have the magic ratio | | | | breakfast foods for kids. |
| of salt, fat and sugar to make them taste good. | | | | - Avoid white breads and other white or highly |
| However, as we know there are plenty of good | | | | processed starchy foods that break down as refined |
| healthy foods that taste great as well. You just have | | | | sugars in your body. They are mostly empty calories. |
| to try them in order to see. If you are not sure you | | | | You don't want this, since it will lead to major weight |
| want to go to all that effort - and pain - with the | | | | gain over time. |
| children, just consider what we would be doing for | | | | - As for beverages, the primary drinks your children |
| them. I'm sure you want them to grow up and live long | | | | should embrace are water, low-fat milk and real fruit |
| healthy lives? | | | | juices. Soft drinks are horrible for your body, as are |
| The key is to get them started on the right foods early | | | | many fruit juice products out there these days. Fast |
| on, is to set a good example and to educate them | | | | food should be a rare treat! We call it "sometimes |
| about food and nutrition. If you eat good foods, you set | | | | food" here at home. If you enjoy fast food, try to eat it |
| a great example for your children. Unfortunately, if you | | | | only once each month. If you are considering healthy |
| can't set a good example, then your kids are unlikely to | | | | eating for kids, you should certainly steer clear of fast |
| take you seriously. | | | | foods. |
| This means they will most likely not want to eat whole | | | | So have a think about your role in your child's food |
| grains, fruits, or healthy vegetables either. | | | | education and their future health and ask yourself - am |
| So if you can, develop healthy eating habits at an early | | | | I doing enough? |