Healthy eating for children is more than just eating healthy foods. Childhood is the time when we learn healthy eating habits. Not surprisingly, it is also where we learned many of these unhealthy eating habits.
1. Clean your plate
This was a common phrase at the dinner table when I was growing up. We were expected to finish the food on our plate. Yet, it doesn't fit in with healthy eating for children for two reasons. First, you are eating past the point of being full. Just consider all those calories to be extra--because they are. After you are no longer hungry, you are just adding unneeded calories. Extra calories get stored as fat.
The second issue is that over-eating stuffs the stomach. The stomach needs to be able to move, gyrate and agitate the contents as part of digestion. If it cannot, then the decreased mobility can mean food is left undigested in the intestinal tract. I have to say that this was a tough habit to break. But when I did, weight maintenance became a lot easier. Ask yourself, "How does it help some hungry person far away if I overeat?"
2. No dessert if you don't finish your meal
Here is another common mind set. In fact, a line from Pink Floyd's song Another Brick In The Wall says, "If you don't finish your meat, you can't have any pudding. How can you have any pudding, if you don't eat your meat." Pretty hard to argue with Pink Floyd, but I will go for it.
With this solution to healthy eating for children, you're not only having them over-eat, but then have them jam down some dessert too! Isn't that taking "clean your plate" to the next level by including dessert too? We are not just another brick in the wall; which I consider to be a more accurate context of Pink Floyd's point. We don't all like the same foods, nor do we all need to eat the same amount.
A better solution would be to eat till satisfied. Then in an hour or so, have a small dessert. You get to enjoy your meal and dessert without over-eating and without missing out. Something kids would appreciate too, I'm sure. Dessert is extra, it doesn't need to be part of every meal. Most desserts have a high amount of sugar. This is another reason why waiting an hour or so after dinner works well. It allows for some digestion and perhaps, just maybe the family forgets about dessert; yes, it could happen.
3. Don't spoil your dinner
Not eating or not letting your child eat when very hungry just sets you or your child up for over-eating. Have you ever been so very hungry that you just eat and eat and eat very quickly? What happens is that you ate far too quickly to register that you have had enough. When kids are made to wait when hungry, they get upset and then you have an upset child to deal with.
Instead try telling them how long till supper and ask if they can wait. Something like, "Supper will be ready in 10 minutes. Can you wait?" If not, suggest a light bite to eat to tide them over till dinner. This works well with husbands too. But the thing is, if they say they can't wait, let them eat. I'm sure in this case they will still eat the dinner you prepared. Another benefit is that they can see that they do have control over their own eating and so, are less likely to act up at meals.
4. You are going to sit there until you eat all your supper
This makes meal times stressful for your child. So let me ask you: If you go out to dinner, do you make yourself sit there till you eat all you've been served? My guess is you don't. So why not afford your child the same respect? Surely, they have the ability to know when they have had enough or they don't like something. Remember their bellies are smaller; which is a good thing. So, yes they will probably be hungry again later. Would that really be such a problem?
Raising healthy eating kids can be challenging at the best of times. They need your guidance and encouragement. By avoiding these unhealthy eating habits, you are less likely to have to deal with their defiance. Defiance that you too, would show under the same circumstances. It means you still have free will and--so do they.
Doris Temple created http://www.mom-going-organic-sensibly.com to fill the need for unbiased information. The Website provides information about organic food, products and healthy nutrition. Sign up for a free monthly email newsletter (ezine) and receive a free Going Organic Special Report: http://www.mom-going-organic-sensibly.com/ezine-signup.html
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