House Rules That Encourage Healthier Kids Snacks
Encouraging your child to eat healthy is a difficult task. It’s important to make a home environment that allows him to make his own food choices while developing healthy habits. We at the best schools in Orlando have compiled a list of healthy ideas that will prevent your child from eating junk!
Don’t Buy Junk
You can’t control the outside world, and with grandma’s house, after-school activities, and church, your child is probably exposed to unhealthy foods on a regular basis. So, it’s important you set strict rules about what comes in your house. For instance, avoid these purchases:
Candy
Soda
Chips
Fruit snacks
Packaged desserts
Healthy Stock-Up
Because you won’t be buying junk food, you’ll need to stock up on healthier food. If your child’s hunger strikes often, there should always be nutritious choices available. Fill up your refrigerator and pantry with fruits, vegetables, seeds, and nuts. Soon, he will develop a taste for the healthy stuff!
Keep Them Involved
Get your child excited about food by involving him in the meal planning. Let him decide what you should cook. If he wants pasta, opt for a nutritional alternative like zucchini noodles (or “zoodles”) or black bean spaghetti. Bring him along for shopping trips, and explain to him why you don’t buy certain foods. Be sure to eat together as a family as well!
More Activity
The more active your child is, the less he will think about food. More screen time means more mindless snacking. Take the iPad away, give him an activity to do, and he won't focus so much on his appetite. Plus, many apps include ads for junk food and limiting time on the devices means less exposure to tempting ads.
Don’t Be Strict
It’s important to remember that although you’re ditching the junk food and stocking up on the nutritious food, don’t completely restrict your child’s access to certain foods. Consider items that can be considered treats, like cake at a friend’s birthday party. Allowing him to explore and get a taste of what’s out there in the world will help him develop a healthy relationship with food.
For more than 50 years, the best schools in Orlando have been helping children grow to their fullest potential and become leaders within their communities. We offer unique and dynamic learning environments that engage students and encourage them to become confident and responsible adults. To learn more about what makes us different, contact us today.