My Pyramid
March Is National Nutrition Month
Below are some ideas from the American Dietetic Association for Helping Kids Develop A Taste For Healthy Food.
During National Nutrition Month Dietitians are Encouraging Adults To Be Good Role Models and to Teach Children How to Appreciate Nutrition and Enjoy Healthy Eating.
The most important thing you can do is offer you children as many new foods as possible, early in life, because it takes much longer to accept new foods when you are older. A recent survey showed parents have more potential to influence their children's behavior including their eating habits than anyone else. In fact, parents outrank sports celebrities as the person the child "would like to be most." By eating healthy foods and offering them to your children, you can give your kids opportunities to learn to like a variety of nutritious foods.
Involve Your Children in Grocery Shopping and Meal Preparation as Much as Possible
Kids are more likely to try new things-especially fruits, vegetables, grains and dairy products-if they are involved in choosing and preparing them. When kids are in the kitchen with you, they are learning. Talk to them, especially young children: "Now we are adding...stirring...washing." Make meal preparations fun and interactive. Then, when your children are old enough to prepare meals on their own, they won't view time in the kitchen as a negative.
One Final Piece of Advice For Parents
Offer healthy foods and eat them yourself. Don't just lecuture your children to eat helthy and then not follow suit. Put a smile on your face and your kids will follow.
Source:EatRight.org
