In this article by Amanda Chan, you will find great tips to promote healthy eating in kids from pediatric psychologist Eileen Kennedy. Kids can get hooked onto eating junk food, here are some guidlines for parents to make small changes that will promote healthy eating.
Creating healthy eating habits for even the pickiest of kids
Here are some tips for parents from pediatric psychologist Eileen Kennedy, of the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio:
- Once kids get their first taste of crunchy, sweet or salty foods , it's hard to get them unhooked. Because of this, instead of banning these kinds of foods outright from the home, limit the number of treats that kids are allowed to eat each day. That way, kids won't be as tempted to want what they can't have because the food won't be completely forbidden.
- Rather than giving kids money for treats at school, make it clear the kids can instead save the money and spend it on non-food items.
- If parents want to buy a treat or a kind of junk food and bring it into the home, buy the smallest possible package of that food instead of the economy bulk sized packages.
- Encourage kids to drink zero-calorie beverages instead of sugary juices and soda .
- When cooking dinner , always make sure to have one item that the kid likes and will eat. Also cook extras of the fruits and vegetables to encourage seconds.
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