HOW TO RAISE HEALTHY EATERS

Raising healthy eaters is one of parenting’s biggest challenges. Whether children are picky eaters or over-eaters, the struggle is the same. How to teach them to be conscientious eaters who will grow up to be healthy individuals.

The answer to the question of raising healthy eaters is simpler than you might think—modelling. You model healthy eating habits, your children will follow (unless they have a certain medical condition; which is not what we are addressing here.)

A client of mine shared a story which communicates this point quite effectively. She and all her siblings grew up believing they were allergic to black pepper. They were very conscious about their allergy and avoided black pepper at all cost. It was only in her late teens that my client discovered she was not the one allergic to black pepper, it was her mother! Her mother was so obviously conscious of using black pepper in her diet that all her children internalized her concern and accepted it as their own allergy. The point is we are transferring our attitudes to our children—positive or negative.

A pediatric client of mine was born with osteoporosis and at 5 years of age was severely underweight, was barely eating, and had no protein in his diet. His eating habits were so poor that he would vomit if given any solid food at all. After a detailed meeting with the parents and a full two-day observation of them in their environment, the reason was quite clear. He was imitating his mother’s eating habits, but taking them a notch further. She was a picky eater growing up and while pregnant, which contributed to him being born with osteoporosis. She was very conscious of her weight and very careful about what she ate and was unknowingly transferring the same attitude to her child in a very negative way. After approaching this in a wholesome manner and implementing a family plan, at 6 years and 5 months, my little client is not only eating all his meals without trouble, he is active, healthy and flourishing in school.

The same is often the case with overweight children. The solution in both cases is proper modelling of healthy habits.

Parents of underweight children try to force-feed their children while parents of overweight and obese children often put their youngsters on diets. Taking either of these extreme measures rarely works and may even be harmful. Healthy diets are important, but this has to be in conjunction with more family time, outdoor games and exercise, and less TV and video-gaming. They also need adequate rest, peaceful environment, and healthy food served at home.

The following suggestions can help you help your children attain and maintain a healthy weight.

EAT TOGETHER

Interaction with family around the table is good for kids and parents alike. It creates an emotional bond, allows children to spend time with their parents, and for parents to demonstrate healthy eating habits. Spending quality time around the dinner table also encourages children to open up to their parents and share about their life which allows the parents to notice any emotional stress or signs of bullying etc.

GET ADEQUATE REST

Numerous studies demonstrate the link between weight gain and too little rest.
To help your children get enough sleep at night:

• Cut their sugar / caffeine intake.
• Set and enforce regular sleep and wake-up times.
• Be sure your child gets eight to nine hours of sleep a night.

LIMIT SCREEN TIME

When children lead a sedentary lifestyle and spend too much time in front of TV, video games or computer, their metabolism slows, their appetites increase, and they convert more calories to fat.
Add to that the amount of time they spend doing homework while sitting down.

EXERCISE DAILY

People of all ages, and especially children from 2 to 16 should participate in at least 30 to 60 minutes of physical activity most days of the week, if not daily. Serve as a role model for your child and make sure you get regular exercise yourself. Go hiking, biking, jogging, walking, swimming, play sports, anything to be outdoors and moving.

IMPROVE NUTRITION

Good nutrition is the cornerstone of good health and healthy weight. To move your kids in the right direction:

• Make sure half their calories are from “good” carbohydrates, such as fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. Limit processed carbohydrates, such as cookies, cakes, sodas, and chips. If they don’t have access to something, chances are they will not eat it. No one is asking you to completely eliminate it from their (or your) diet, but limit it as much as possible and set clear rules, for example chips can only be eaten on a certain day of the week.
• Keep healthy snacks, such as yogurt, fruits, and vegetables on hand instead of packaged, high-fat, high-sodium foods.
• Include a quality protein at each meal, such as baked or grilled chicken, steak, fish etc.
• Watch portion sizes.
• Limit soft drinks and beverages high in sugar (eliminate entirely if you can). Drink as much water as possible. If your children are not interested in drinking water, try making infused water with fruits. It tastes delicious and if they help you make it, there is a good chance they will be interested in drinking it too.
• Limit fast food.
• Have a portion of salad with each meal. Let your children help you prepare salad. From my experience, if they help make something, they are proud of it and eat it. Serve salad with delicious homemade dressings to make them more palatable.
• Eat everything in front of them. If you don’t judge food, they will be discouraged from doing that as well.