How to include healthy foods in children’s diets

World Food Day is celebrated on October 16. The date is an initiative of the United Nations (UN) and seeks to create awareness among people about nutrition issues. This is the case for a healthy diet that should be rich in nutrients, avoiding excess sugar and highly processed foods.

Feeding problems can be a challenge, especially when feeding children a variety of foods. Therefore, the child nutrition is a process that requires patience, and some techniques are useful to introduce healthy food into the life of the little ones.

Start early with good habits

According to research published in the American Journal of Pediatrics, eating habits are consolidated early in life. Therefore, the sooner healthy foods are introduced, the more accepted they will be, and the easier it will be to maintain the trend in the long run.

Also, nutrition is essential for a child’s growth, development and health. Therefore, investing in a variety of vegetables and fruits is an essential strategy to broaden children’s palates . Change Mode Product ea Presentation This also has advantages as little ones enjoy different visual stimuli, textures and aromas.

A valuable tip for parents is to use the Food Guide for Brazilians when preparing meals. This material is produced by the Ministry of Health, which provides guidelines for promoting a balanced diet, becoming a support tool for food education activities and nutrition in the country.

In this way, it is possible to access a set of recommendations that help health food choices and the right way to combine them in the diet.

Therefore, through simple strategies abused by creativity and persistence and the example a consistent routine becomes possible. Check out the global health agency Abbott’s tips for teaching kids to eat healthy:

Creativity

Diet is very important for healthy growth. Usually, little ones reject new foods first. Therefore, it is necessary to offer it at other times and also, to combine it with another food that the child likes. This is what causes a child’s unusual eating habits.

The diversity of ingredients in each meal helps ensure the baby gets the nutrients it needs for optimal growth. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics’ nutrition guidelines, it is recommended that children’s diets include vegetables, fruits, whole grains, low-fat dairy products (after age 2), and quality protein sources.

action

Teaching children to make healthy, nutritious decisions increases their chances of staying healthy as adults.

One idea is to take your child to the supermarket so they can choose some fruits or vegetables. Making it part of the process is essential to establishing lasting habits. Another tip is to let them choose fun plates, glasses and cutlery at mealtime, making the moment fun.

Persistence

When introducing healthy foods, it is important for both mother and father to remain calm. A common posture to avoid is bargaining, in which foods are associated with a later reward such as dessert. These attitudes are detrimental to the development of a new habit and make it difficult to understand that it is important to try foods to know whether the palate likes them or not.

Example

Children’s behavior is a mirror of their parents’ examples. Therefore, habits such as eating at the table, paying attention to food, eating healthily and regularly are behaviors expected primarily from adults. This way, the repetition of habits will flow more naturally and in a pleasant way.

Regular

Programming a structured routine of three meals and two snacks per day is best to ensure complete nutrition. For this purpose, it is necessary to feed the children well, to teach them that if they do not eat at that time, they should wait until the next snack time, to establish consistency and to reinforce the understanding of the importance of food.