Children are like clay. They take the shape and form given by their parents. This puts a lot of responsibility on the shoulders of parents to ensure that they take care of the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual growth of their children.
Food is an essential element of our lives. Healthy and nutritious food lays a strong foundation for the growth of a responsible and successful human being. Hence, most parents take all measures to ensure maximum nutrition for their children. This article will offer some tips to help you build a suitable diet for your kids.
Also, due to the rising medical costs and increasing lifestyle diseases, having a health insurance plan is essential. You can use the online health insurance premium calculator to get health insurance quotes, compare health insurance, and choose the right health insurance plans for yourself and your family.
Let’s begin by looking at a list of food items that are considered to be good and bad for children.
Table of Contents
Nutrition-Rich Foods for Children
Here are some healthy food options that are known to be good for kids:
- Seasonal and fresh fruits
- Green leafy vegetables and fibre-rich vegetables like beans, peas, etc.
- Dairy products like milk, butter, yoghurt, etc.
- Foods that are rich in proteins like eggs, soy, nuts, seafood, poultry, etc.
- Whole grains
Foods to Avoid for Children
- Avoid junk and deep-fried food items, as they can lead to obesity and lifestyle-related diseases.
- Restrict the sodium intake as it can result in high blood pressure and heart problems in the future.
- While children love sweets, ensure that you control the amount and type of sweets they consume. Avoid white sugar, cola, and chocolates. You can opt for honey and jaggery instead.
Healthy Habits for a Healthy Family
Here are some tips to help you create a healthy diet for your kids:
- Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. So ensure that you cook a balanced breakfast for your kids. Also, ensure that your kids have protein-rich food.
- In modern families where kids have their separate rooms, many children eat food in their rooms. This does not allow you to monitor what and how your child is eating. Ensure that you inculcate the habit of eating together as a family.
- Become mindful about the kind of food you are giving your child. For example, if you have been using white bread, then switch to whole wheat bread. Replace ice-creams with homemade smoothies, etc.
- If you order food from restaurants regularly, then start cooking more meals at home. This will help you control what your child is eating.
- Keep an eye on your child’s health and control the portion size accordingly.
Some Handy Tips to Ensure Kids Eat Healthy Food
Here are some tips that can help you ensure that your kids eat healthy and nutritious food:
- Children tend to develop a liking or hatred for certain foods at a very young age. Hence, ensure that you start feeding healthy and nutritious food to your kids when they are young. As they grow, they will eat them regularly.
- Talk to your doctor and create a list of food items that are good for your kids and the ones that need to be avoided. Then, follow these lists regularly and plan your meals accordingly.
- Kids learn more by observation and less by verbal lessons. Hence, it is important to practice what you preach. But, first, make sure that you eat foods that you want your kids to eat.
- Get creative while feeding nutritious foods if your children throw a tantrum to eat them. Try to make the dish visually appealing. Children are easy to please. Avoid scolding them and use your creativity instead.
- Most children love to munch on light snacks regularly. Ensure that the snacks you keep at home are healthy and avoid junk snacks.
Summing Up
Most people think that children are fussy eaters. However, the fact is that they are driven by the taste, aroma, and look of the dish. Also, they develop habits based on what they see around them. Hence, it is important to teach a healthy eating environment at home. Unfortunately, children also tend to fall sick more often than adults.
While this is usually not a cause for concern, ensure that you are in constant communication with your doctor to create a diet plan that helps them stay healthy. Further, with rising medical costs, make sure that you have a family health insurance policy that helps you manage any medical emergency with ease. If your family has a history of certain diseases or ailments, then get critical illness insurance to protect your family against any unfortunate event.
Remember, your children depend on you for nutrition and support. Unfortunately, they are unaware of what is good for them and what can potentially harm them. Communicate with your children and make them understand why you insist on certain foods. Don’t make it a rule – try explaining to them instead. Every child is unique and requires a specific diet. If you have multiple children, treat each child differently and create a diet plan based on their requirements. Good Luck!
