5 Ways to Educate Your Kids in National Nutrition Month
At the beginning of every March, the national nutrition month commences, centered around encouraging families to make good food choices that will nurture their children.
At Oregon Pediatrics, we understand that nutrition is one of the utmost important components of primary care. We also like to think of National Nutrition Month as a chance to make kids as devoted to their nutrition as their parents are. The only question remaining is: how can you teach your child about nutrition, and do it right?
Make Food Part of Their Routine
To properly educate your kids on what food choices are better than others, it’s best to find ways to let them participate in the process. When everyone is involved in choosing the next nutritious – yet tasty – meal, it presents more opportunities for them to learn why some choices are better than others. You can take your kids with you to the store or the farmers market, let them pick out the fresh harvests, choose recipes, or make shopping lists
2. Avoid the “good” and “bad” Mentality
Not only does the forbidden fruit taste sweeter but calling certain food good and others bad can, unfortunately, make children more prone to disordered eating later on. Instead, mention the nutritional benefits of each food and how it can help their body and its energy. Foods less nutrition, such as French fries shouldn’t be “off-limits”, but kids should at least know that they’re not the best choice.
3.) Be a Healthy Role Model
Most parents expect their children to be better versions of them but in some cases like this one, a child mirrors whatever he sees. If you force your children to eat vegetables but never touch them yourself, you may want to reconsider your own eating habits. Every meal you take is significant. Similarly, children might inherit their parents' unhealthy dietary habits, while seeing food as a source of joy and nourishment rather than an enemy can help them improve their body image and relationship with food.
4. Leave the Weight Out of It
Weight-related discussions with younger children can lead to low self-esteem, a negative body image, and disordered eating in adolescence when children are most vulnerable to these health problems. When discussing nutrition, don’t use losing weight or gaining it as an advantage. Instead, focus on strength and use terms like “It makes your body stronger” or “Helps you have more energy”.
5. Families That Eat Together, Stick Together
It's never too early to start having healthy-eating discussions with your kids, and mealtime is the perfect time to do it! Not to mention, studies show that families who eat together at mealtimes have higher-quality diets with more fruits and vegetables and less fast food and sugary beverages as their children get older.
In Oregon, the healthcare professionals at Oregon Pediatrics are now accepting new patients!
To schedule your appointment today, contact us at www.oregonpediatrics.com for more information.