10 ways to raise a healthy eater

Follow me at @drClaire As a pediatrician, I talk about healthy eating a lot — and I talk to a lot of families whose children do not have the best eating habits. It’s not that the parents are bad parents. Many, many good parents have children who like potato chips more than Brussel sprouts — and it’s a natural instinct to want to give children food they like, and to feel worried when they don’t eat the food in front of them. Eating habits are just that: habits. And habits can be not only taught, but changed. Here are 10 ways to set your child up for a lifetime of healthy eating and all the health benefits that brings: Start early. It is amazing how much the eating habits of babies and toddlers can end up lasting a lifetime — in both good and bad ways. A baby whose parents make him finish a bottle, for example, can lose his ability to listen to his own hunger cues (which is one of the reasons breastfeeding can help prevent obesity). A toddler who gets lots of fruits and vegetables on her plate comes to think of them as normal, yummy foods — as opposed to foods she is being forced to eat. Serve healthy foods. This sounds obvious, but I talk to a whole lot of families who do not routinely serve fruits, vegetables, and other healthy foods — or if they do, they leave them off their child’s plate (because the child “doesn’t like them”). It’s so important to serve them and keep them on the plate — and, I think, insist on at least a bite or two. It can tak...
Source: New Harvard Health Information - Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Tags: Children's Health Healthy Eating Parenting Source Type: news