Food is more than just sustenance. It is the cornerstone of children’s health, laying the foundation for a lifetime of well-being. The importance of teaching our little ones about healthy eating cannot be overstated.
Believe it or not, the journey can be enjoyable and beneficial for the entire family. Unicef presents six simple ways to embark on this path together.
Be a positive role model
Little eyes are always watching, especially during mealtime. By choosing healthy foods, beverages, and snacks for yourself, you become a shining example for your child.
Embrace fun physical activities as a family, reinforcing the importance of an active lifestyle.
Maintain a healthy relationship with food
Having a healthy mindset around eating is key for lifelong health and protecting against illnesses like heart disease, cancer and diabetes. You can help guide your young child by:
Helping them understand whether they are physically hungry. This will help them to become in tune with their body’s needs.
Staying away from using food as a reward or punishment. Using food in this way can cause children to form an unhealthy relationship with food.
Not forbidding specific foods. Making certain foods like sweets off-limits can make your child want them even more.
Limit the amount size and set expectations about enjoying unhealthy foods and drinks infrequently (that is not every day) rather than saying no to them. Explain to your kids why some foods are better options than others.
For instance, if your child requests something sweet, explain why a piece of fruit, which contains natural sugars, is preferable to a processed product, such as a sweet cereal with added sugar.
Try rewarding good behaviour with things other than food, like an enjoyable family activity.
Let go of the “clean your plate!” mentality
Although you might think this could help your child get the nutrients needed from food, the behaviours can lead to disliking foods and having negative associations with mealtime. If you can’t get your child to eat their veggies, try to have them see you eating and enjoying them yourself.
Your little one learns about food choices from you, so try to encourage them as much as you can.
You can also try by offering small amounts of a fruit or vegetable with another healthy food they like or asking them to pick out a new one to try out together.
Arranging fruits and vegetables in fun and colourful shapes can also help them look appealing on the plate. It’s important to remember that it can take several tries for children to try and enjoy new foods – don’t give up!
Make portion control a priority
It's important to teach your kids about proper serving sizes because large meals might result in weight gain. Using visuals, for instance, is a simple method to teach your child about child-portion amounts.
For a serving of pasta, rice or cereal, it is advised to close your fist. The size of a beef serving should be comparable to their palm.
Butter and other fats should not exceed the size of the top of their thumb.
Start the day with a healthy breakfast
Mornings can be a rush for many families, but starting the day with a balanced meal helps your child get the important nutrients, such as calcium and fibre, needed for their growth and development.
Try to create breakfasts with nutrient-dense ingredients like plain yoghurt and fresh fruit instead of sweetened cereals or pastries, which tend to be high in calories and low in nutrients.
Make activity fun
Children need at least 60 minutes of physical activity a day. Why not join in the fun? Try to plan family activities that get everyone moving such as after-dinner walks or swimming.
And be spontaneous when you see an opportunity, like dancing together when a favourite song comes on the radio.
It is also important to encourage your child to limit sedentary screen time (the World Health Organisation recommends no more than one hour a day for children aged 2 to 4 years) to focus on active games that require movement.
Incorporating healthy foods and fun activities into each day will help your child’s development, improve their health and set them up for a lifetime of making positive, healthy choices.