Children’s day 2021: Inculcating healthy eating habits in kids

KEY STORY 

14 November is observed as Children’s Day to celebrate the birth anniversary of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru and the existence of children. Children play an important role in determining the future of a country and to ensure a bright future, it is essential to work towards nourishing and providing the children with the facilities and opportunities to flourish with good health. When it comes to health and wellbeing, diet is an integral factor. With good eating habits, a healthy body comes naturally.

Healthy eating habits in kids

Health starts at home. Here are some healthy eating habits that you must inculcate in your kids:

Never skip breakfast: Prepare your kids today to fight the shortcomings of tomorrow. Breakfast is considered to be an important meal of the day and in a hectic lifestyle, it might be difficult to catch a break for breakfast every morning. However, inculcating a habit for breakfast during growing stages will allow your kids to squeeze in a healthy morning meal every day.

 Water is the most important beverage: As surprising as it sounds, most people do not have a habit of drinking water. It is extremely essential to stay hydrated and it is a habit that must be inculcated since childhood. Substituting water with sodas, juices, or other beverages during meals is a common habit. Apart from adding to the unhealthy sugar intake, this habit also puts the teeth at risk of developing cavities. Therefore, it is important to limit the intake of these beverages and drink water as the main beverage.

 Make cooking fun: Make your kids a part of the meal preparation process so they feel included and can get a good idea of what they are eating. Cooking can add an element of fun during meals. Furthermore, inculcating cooking habits in kids during their growing years will prevent them from associating cooking with a tedious job thereby encouraging more home-cooked meals and fewer take-outs.

Healthy snacks are good: Snacks can help beat annoying hunger pangs in the middle of the day. Kids are active human beings who tend to get tired and hungry easily. While some parents refrain from giving their kids snacks fearing that they will lose appetite for their meals, healthy snacking can be a good eating habit and can add to the kids’ health by enhancing daily nutrition intake. Don’t associate

desserts and sweets with rewards: “You will get the dessert only after you’re done eating your vegetables.” It is a common habit to associate sweets and desserts with rewards which often tricks the kids into believing that vegetables are bad foods and desserts are good foods. This makes the consumption of certain foods forced and prone to be avoided by children. To avoid this from happening, stop using sugary treats as rewards and make them a part of their meals so they don’t get a choice.

Disclaimer: Tips and suggestions mentioned in the article are for general information purpose only and should not be construed as professional medical advice. Always consult your doctor or a dietician before starting any fitness programme or making any changes to your diet.