| Healthy eating is vital for everybody but more so | | | | acceptable if the children are otherwise eating a |
| for a child's health and well being. We all | | | | well balanced and healthy diet. But when it |
| understand the importance of good nutrition and | | | | becomes an addiction, it may lead to deficiencies, |
| exercise, but how do we feed a picky eater or | | | | ironically resulting from being overfed. If children |
| encourage a child who hates sports to play | | | | continue to neglect eating a balanced diet whilst |
| outside? | | | | adhering to fast foods, they risk getting |
| Learning how to keep your child healthy with the | | | | malnourished and weaken their immunity levels. |
| right foods and exercise is important. Adequate | | | | This leads to frequent colds, allergies, asthma, |
| nutrition is vital for ensuring your children an | | | | irregular menstrual cycle in girls, low energy levels, |
| overall emotional and physical health. Good eating | | | | and difficulty in concentration, poor performance |
| habits help prevent chronic illness in the future, | | | | in school, excessive hunger, constipation, mood |
| including obesity, heart disease, cancer and | | | | swings, depression, irritation and the list is endless. |
| diabetes. | | | | As parents, you should encourage them to eat |
| By understanding child's eating habits, parents can | | | | properly at meal times so that they don't feel |
| be better prepared to evaluate the nutritional | | | | hungry in between meals and gravitate towards |
| adequacy of their child's diet and ensure that they | | | | fast foods. |
| are meeting the minimum nutritional requirements | | | | 4. Neglecting exercises |
| for maintenance of better health. By addressing | | | | Being physically active is a key component of |
| each of these factors individually you can ensure | | | | good health for all children. It helps in strengthening |
| that your child is able to meet the minimum | | | | their muscles, controlling their weight and |
| nutritional requirements on daily basis. | | | | decreasing their risk of obesity-related illnesses. |
| Here are the six worst food habits our kids have | | | | The key is finding activities your child enjoys. The |
| and as a parent, what you can do about them: | | | | options are many - from jumping, kicking, |
| 1. Skipping Meals Primarily Breakfast | | | | catching, skating, to bike riding, tennis, soccer, |
| Skipping meals, especially breakfast is one of the | | | | dance or even badminton. When kids find an |
| most common nutrition mistake committed by | | | | activity that's fun, they'll do it a lot. |
| children. Breakfast is an important meal for the | | | | 5. Limited intake of vegetables |
| whole family and more so for a child. The point of | | | | We all know the health benefits of fresh fruits |
| breakfast is to feed your child's body the protein | | | | and vegetable and the array of vital nutrients and |
| and energy it needs to start the day and to carry | | | | antioxidants provided by them. The only problem |
| him through to lunch. Eating breakfast can also | | | | is that our kids refuse to put them in their |
| upstart your child's metabolism, which helps with | | | | mouths. |
| weight control, mood and school performance. | | | | A few sure fire ways of sneaking the vegetables |
| Give your child a strawberry milk shake or a | | | | in their diet are-a. Boiling, blenderizing and adding |
| chocolate milk shake if he/she is fussing over | | | | them to soups, ketchups, pizza and pasta |
| drinking plain milk. Fruit juices are rich in potent | | | | sauces.b. Juicing vegetables like carrot and |
| antioxidants and an ideal breakfast | | | | beetroot(raw) along with fruits of their |
| accompaniment. Cheese slices on whole grain | | | | choice(orange, sweet lime)c. Dry the cooked |
| bread or whole-wheat khakra serves as a tasty | | | | vegetables on a heated pan with little oil and add |
| and healthy breakfast food. Green mung sprouts | | | | as a stuffing for your sandwiches, chapattis and |
| mixed with chopped green salad and dressed with | | | | paranthas.d. Preparing paneer/ chicken cutlets with |
| grated cheese and curd, rice kheer/porridge made | | | | spinach, carrot or peas as add ons.e. Serving |
| with milk, almonds, sesame seeds and jaggery, | | | | them tomatoes, cucumber, carrot sticks with |
| milk and muesli, eggs with roti or wheat breads | | | | cream, cheese or curd. |
| are a few nutritious options for your child. Choose | | | | Foremost, remember that your child will model |
| the options your child is most likely to enjoy, | | | | the eating behaviors that they see at home. If |
| because variety improves everyone's appetite | | | | you are finicky about the presence of vegetables |
| 2. Excessive Snacking | | | | on your plate, it's quite evident that your child |
| Snacking in children is inevitable and parents need | | | | would do so too. Maintain a healthy and balanced |
| not worry about it or condemn and forbid the | | | | approach to eating and your child is more likely to |
| children from eating snacks. Snacking in between | | | | do the same. |
| meals is healthy as long as the snack choice is | | | | 6. Replacing meals with supplements- |
| appropriate and as parents, we should aim at | | | | A well balanced diet with nutrient rich meals and |
| making wise snacking options readily available for | | | | snacks can provide all the vitamins and minerals |
| our children. The notion that foods at meals should | | | | needed by a child. And that's the best way to |
| be healthy and snack foods need not be so is | | | | provide them. If your child is eating properly, then |
| wrong. The problem arises when they tend to eat | | | | there is no need to give him any additional |
| too much high fat and calorie dense snack foods. | | | | supplements. Introduction of any nutritional |
| The key is encouraging them to consume snacks | | | | supplements or vitamins should be done only as |
| that are nutrient dense rather than junk foods | | | | per physician's advice and purely based on your |
| low in nutrients. Healthy snacks for children would | | | | child's nutritional requirements and that too to |
| include fruits, nuts (almonds & peanuts) | | | | complement his diet and never as a meal |
| sprouts bhel, vegetable or chicken frankies (made | | | | replacement. |
| with whole wheat breads), milk products like curd, | | | | One common denominator for getting children to |
| cottage cheese (paneer), tofu (made from milk), | | | | eat healthier and avoid these bad food habits is |
| roasted or steamed corn, fruit juices, dosa, idlis, | | | | your active role in providing healthy foods. Get in |
| dhoklas, etc. | | | | the habit of making these foods more readily |
| 3. High indulgence on Junk foods | | | | available to your child and you will soon see a |
| Junk foods are the processed and refined foods | | | | change in their eating habits. Work with your child |
| which are nutritionally void, low in fiber and the | | | | to encourage a healthy lifestyle that incorporates |
| easiest way to take in unwanted calories. | | | | sound eating habits and regular exercise. You |
| Consuming these foods once in a way is | | | | might both benefit in the process. |