As a parent, it is your job to help your child learn healthy eating habits. Children, as well as adults, should be eating a balanced diet from the 3 food groups, consisting of fruits and vegetables, protein, and whole grain products. With 3 meals per day and up to 3 healthy snacks per day, you can help to ensure that he or she has the nutrients that they need to grow into a healthy adult.

While it is sometimes easier said than done and bribing often plays a part in a child’s food consumption, it is important to make sure you get something good in them. We all know that children tend to hate most things nutritious, sugar is a food group that they would love to include in their daily diet, but it should only be enjoyed on occasion.

Processed Foods

While it can be expensive to purchase fresh products, the best foods to consume are items that are not processed. Processed foods are filled with sodium, added sugars and unhealthy fats that can be damaging to your child’s growth and overall health. If you are a working parent that struggles with finding time to prepare fresh meals, try to at least choose healthier processed foods to serve. While it should not be seen as a healthy option, it can be healthier than some of the highly processed foods that are out there.

Remember, it is best to limit the in-take of processed foods, but if need be, take the time to read labels. The nutrition facts and ingredients list should be displayed on the products you purchase. Compare labels on a variety of product to determine the healthier choice. What are the added sugars, sodium, and unhealthy fats that have been added? Selecting the product that has added less is the healthier choice. If you are purchasing canned goods, check for the label that offers the no or low sodium option. If it is not available, take a minute to rinse the canned vegetables that you have purchased. This will help to rid some of the sodium before consumption.  

Sodium

Limiting your child’s sodium intake by avoiding processed foods has many benefits. The preservatives food in processed foods has high levels of sodium which can contribute to high blood pressure, fluid retention, kidney disease and obesity, among other issues. To avoid the possible risks your child can be plagued with at a young age or as an adult, reduce the salt intake early on.

Sugar and Sugar Substitutes

Offering foods that do not have any added sugars or sugar substitutes is also a good idea when trying to serve healthy foods and snacks. Serving fruit instead of fruit juice is a great alternative. Limiting refined sugars, such as molasses, honey, and syrups can also help to avoid tooth decay. This will help to keep your child healthy, as well as keeping the dental fees at a minimum. Sugars that you should try and limit or avoid are sucrose, and glucose-fructose.

While sugar substitutes may not result in tooth decay, they do not have any nutritional value, and can lead to habit forming behaviors. Limiting sugar substitutes can only promote good dietary behaviors. The sugar substitutes to limit or avoid are aspartame and sucralose.

Fats

Consuming healthy fats is an essential part of your child’s daily diet. These fats contain fatty acids, such as omega-3 and omega-6 that our body cannot produce on its own. The only way to reap the benefits of these healthy fats is to use them in your daily diet. You can do this by cooking with vegetable oils like canola, olive and soybean. You can also find them in nut butters, such as almond or peanut, as well as in some margarines (non-hydrogenated) and even mayonnaise.

The unhealthy fats that you should try and avoid are trans and saturated fats. These types of fats are found in items like butter, lard, shortening, and some margarines. You know the foods that are packed with these unhealthy fats. That’s right. The cookies and donuts that line the shelves of the supermarket. Consuming fats such as these on the regular basis can put you and your child at a higher risk of heart disease. Keeping items like this to a minimum can only increase the odds of your child growing into a healthy adult.

Processed foods, such as meat products, can also contain unhealthy fats. For instance, consuming hot dogs, luncheon meats, frozen burgers, and more on a daily basis, can be harmful to your child’s growing body. Be sure to look at the nutrition label on all products before purchase.

And let’s not even mention the damaging effects the drive-thru menu has on children, as well as adults. That knowledge should be a given.

Healthy Choices and Picky Eaters

Out smarting your toddler can be a tricky game. Children are very strong willed and can sometimes out play or out last the best of us. But as a parent, you need to find a way to enjoy healthy foods. It’s time to out-smart your picky eater! For example, if your child holds his or her ground and refuses the oatmeal that has been served for breakfast, refrain from rewarding them with a snack. By eliminating the option to fill up on a snack, you have allowed their hunger to grow. By lunchtime they should be hungry enough to finish the food you have prepared.

Keep in mind, that children have smaller stomachs than adults, and their appetites can often change from day to day. Providing small amounts throughout the day may work better than serving the usual 3 meals per day. Every child is different. Consider your child when planning a daily menu.

Finding the Money to Buy Healthy

If money is an issue, which it is for most parents these days, then buying fresh products may be easier said than done. Fresh fruits and vegetables can be quite expensive. Especially when you are feeding more than one. Try taking advantage of any coupons or sales that are advertised, as well as beating the shelf life of your produce. Take the time to cook your vegetables before they go bad. You can freeze them after cooking to preserve for another night. This can help to save you money, as well as trips to the grocery store. If you need a little extra cash to go food shopping before the sale ends, but you haven’t received your paycheck yet, a quick payday loan may help. Use the cash advance to take advantage of the discounts before you miss out.