There’s enough noise out there to burst your ear drums when it comes to what healthy habits you should teach your kids.
Then there’s the pressure.
You know what I’m talking about.
Whether it’s pressure to give your child a daily multi-vitamin, or feed them breakfast (even if it is a donut!) or maybe it’s pressure to pack those perfectly creative bento lunches (I did not get that creative gene).
We all feel the pressure and guilt of trying to navigate the mounds of information (and laundry) to know how to prioritize the healthy habits we need to incorporate.
First – You’re entering a “no pressure” zone. You just don’t need it and it won’t help you anyways.
Second – I’m going to give you a list of 5 habits that are most important to teach your kids. I want you to choose just one to start working on now with your family (but it can’t be one you already have down. Just saying!).
Deal? Deal.
Top Nutritional Habits to Teach Your Kids
1] Eat a healthy breakfast (and skip the multi-vitamin). A healthy breakfast helps fill them up, provides a steady flow of energy, removes brain fog and helps regulate mood.
TIP: Overnight oats is a great school day breakfast. It provides fiber to fill them up and protein to regulate energy and mood.
2] Stick to H20 (and stick it to pop and juice). Fruit juice as all the flavour of fruit, but only a small portion of the benefits and pop is a life sucker, energy zapper and completely useless for your health.
Water is a part of every bodily function that we have – so keep your kids hydrated!
3] Listen to your body. Kids are born with the ability to ask for food when they are hungry and stop when they are full. We tend to break their gage by requesting them to finish what’s on their plate, rewarding with food or even disciplining with food.
One of the best habits you can teach your kids is to respect their bodies cues. Eat when you are hungry, stop when you are full.
4] Eat your fruits and veggies (the real thing). They need to develop a palate and love for all kinds of fruits and vegetables. Work to introduce something new each week and experiment with different ways of preparing and cooking them.
Involve the kids! It’s one of the best ways to encourage habit is through positive experiences – so create one!
TIP: Work together to make my simple whole grain pizza crust recipe and experiment with some fun and creative toppings. Guaranteed laughs!
5] Food is Fuel. Food is meant to fuel the body, not emotions. Teach them how to eat prior to being active, post activity and the importance of caring for our body and different ages and stages.
Take the “treat” out of junk food and give that right back to the foods that treat their body right and they just might stop seeing food as a positive “feeling” and see it as fuel instead.
