Ten Tips for Creating Healthy Habits

Eating healthy means more than just counting calories and serving sizes or following a colorful chart, it is about creating every day healthy habits for you and your family. The eating habits and food choices you instill in your children today will be the building blocks for their health in the future. These ten tips for creating healthy eating habits will help you guide your kids down the path to a happy, healthy lifestyle through good nutrition and positive eating habits.  1. Parents control the food supply: Kids will always ask their parents to buy the sweet treats instead of nutritional snacks, but you should be the one to decide which foods to buy and when you will serve them. When the adult is in charge of which foods are regularly in the house, kids will eat the food available to them rather than go without a snack. Buying their favorite not-so nutritious foods every once in a while will feel like a treat instead of a norm.2. Give kids options: From the foods that you offer, allow children to select what they would like to eat and how much of it they want. Give them several options for snacks and for regular meal items. Kids need to feel like they have some say in the matter, and if you are following the first tip then they will still only be eating foods you agree with.3. Drop the “clean your plate” rule: Let your child stop eating whenever he/she says they feel they are finished. Some of us grew up with the “clean your plate” mentality, but children need to learn to trust their bodies to tell them when they are full. When children notice and react to feelings of fullness, they are less likely to develop habits of overeating as they grow.4. Find preferences early: Offer variety beginning at a young age. Even babies begin to develop likes and dislikes that will stick with them into adulthood. It may take a couple times of trying something new for children to accept and like it, however don’t force them to eat it. A “no thank you portion” of one or two bites will be enough to introduce them to the item, and may lead to less picky eaters when they are surprised by liking new things.5. Switch up the kid’s menu: Kids shouldn’t be stuck eating hot dogs, chicken fingers, and mac n’ cheese every time they go out to dinner. Let your children explore the bigger menu options and have them try something new if they are interested. You might try ordering a new appetizer for the child, sharing an entrée of your own with them, or ordering them something you can take to go for family leftovers later.6. Don’t disregard drink calories: Soda, juice, and other sweet drinks can add empty calories and inhibit healthy habits. Most drinks during the day should be water, with only about 4 to 6 oz of 100% juice or milk a day for preschoolers.7. Take the sweets off the pedestal: Dessert shouldn’t be a child’s only reason for eating dinner. If dinner is the race and desert is the prize, then kids learn to place more value on the sweet treats than the hearty meal. Try to stay neutral about foods and show them how delicious healthy items can be.8. Don’t say “I love you” with food: When parents use food to reward children or to show them affection it can lead to children using food as an emotional escape. Use hugs, praise, attention, and activity to express your love rather than food treats.9. Eat how you want your children to eat: Kids imitate adults even more than we realize, so be a role model and eat healthy yourself to send the message to your kids. Try to eat regular meals, always eat at the table, and choose healthy snacks.10. Limit screen time: Kids tend to “graze” or snack mindlessly when they are watching TV or computer screens for long periods of time. Research has shown that kids who reduce their TV-watching time also lower their percentage of body fat. Cut down on screen time and get out and be active together!Following these guidelines is no simple task, but doing so will help set your family on track to happy, healthy lifestyle full of good eating habits! This article was adapted from information on kidshealth.org