Article by Kristina Marshall
Children need a balanced and nutritious diet to grow and stay healthy, and parents know this. The tricky part is getting children to want and ask for healthy food choices. A visit to the grocery store can become a difficult task when you have to constantly say "no" to the endless amount of sugary and processed foods that children ask for.
Parents focus a lot of time on prepping and thinking of healthy meals that their kids will enjoy, just hoping they can avoid a tantrum when veggies are served. Getting children into healthy food choices can be a hassle and it's no secret that processed food companies don't help much either. Things like apples, broccoli, fish or tofu are not exactly advertised to kids as fun and amazing options.
It is also common for many parents to avoid grocery shopping all together when they can't leave their children somewhere since the young ones will want every sugary item on the shelves. If this sounds like you, remember that you can purchase healthy food and have it delivered straight to your home. Buying fresh fish by choosing things like wild salmon delivery options is now a possibility that didn't exist a few years ago.
So, how do you teach your kids about nutrition and healthy food choices so they lean towards a healthier lifestyle from a young age? This will not only help your child lead a healthier lifestyle, it will also make your life as a parent easier:
Children are very visual. Marketing companies know this, which is why they spend millions of dollars getting the perfect pictures for their packaging. But you're their parent, which means your kid is likely going to trust you more.
You don't need to be a graphic artist to get a cool picture demonstrating the impact healthy food choices have on their health; the Internet is full of great animations, cartoons and photos that will help you get your message across.
You can show your child the toxic processes involved in creating processed foods and ask them if that is actually delicious. Then, compare that with the peaceful, natural way involved in producing healthy foods, such as the process of growing fresh fruit and vegetables.
Eating healthy foods gives us superpowers, but few people will understand if you get into the very medical vocabulary. This is why it's essential to explain it with the terminology your kids can grasp.
You can tell them about the great benefits of choosing healthy foods by referencing superpowers, superheroes and turning the human body into a comic. There are villains, such as candy and processed foods, who destroy cells and stump growth. Then there are the superheroes, such as veggies, fruits, nuts and fish, that fight against the villains with vitamins, healthy oils and fiber.
You will be surprised by your storytelling abilities and how your child becomes hooked by the fun stories.
You can incorporate storytelling into mealtime to motivate your children to eat the healthy meals you've prepared for them. You can also give them a few spoilers before they sit down to eat to prime them for it as well. They'll be enchanted by how the story takes place inside their little bodies and how each ingredient strengthens their organism to fight the bad guys.
Bring their regular playtime into it by using toys to explain chickens, eggs, fish and other animals that we eat. Use the dialogues of their favorite characters to explain the health benefits of eating such foods.
You can also get them toys related to food, such as plush toys in the shape of animals and fruit. This way, they will associate healthy foods with something fun.
If your child is old enough to help you with little things in the kitchen, then get them involved in preparing meals. This is a fun activity that lets them gain experience that will help make them more independent.
As you prepare the meals, you can explain the benefit of each ingredient, from the importance of buying fresh fish to the nutritional value of olive oil and everything in between.
Children enjoy spending time with their parents. Grocery shopping with children might not seem like a pleasant experience for parents, but you can turn things around after putting the points mentioned above into practice.
Once your child is familiar with healthy foods, you can take them with you on a fun learning experience to buy groceries. Avoid going to your average grocery store though; these can distract your child from healthy foods and draw them to the processed ones.
Opt for a farmers' market or a food market where they focus on fresh foods. Here you can make the most of the experience and create a game to teach your child how to choose fruits, veggies, cheeses, eggs and more. You can also teach them about the options that are available nowadays to make healthy food choices, such as buying fresh fish and trying wild salmon delivery. This way they'll know that their new favorite food can be easily purchased even if they can't find it locally.
Teaching children to make healthy food choices can be a fun experience for both kids and parents. It's all about integrating healthy options into a fun approach that they find exciting and that they can understand.