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(HealthNewsDigest.com) – DALLAS, Nov. 30, 2010 — In a new study, children who ate the most vegetables and fruits had significantly healthier arteries as adults than children who ate the fewest. Here are 10 tips to encourage your children to eat more vegetables and fruits.
1. Make fruit and vegetable shopping fun: Visit your local green market
and/or grocery store with your kids, and show them how to select ripe
fruits and fresh vegetables. This is also a good opportunity to explain
which fruits and vegetables are available by season and how some come
from countries with different climates.
2. Involve kids in meal prep: Find a healthy dish your kids enjoy and invite
them to help you prepare it. Younger kids can help with measuring,
crumbling, holding and handing some of the ingredients to you. Older
kids can help by setting the table. Make sure you praise them for their
help, so they feel proud of what they’ve done.
3. Be a role model: If you’re eating a wide range of fruits and vegetables
— and enjoying them — your child may want to taste. If you aren’t
eating junk food or keeping it in your home, your kids won’t be eating
junk food at home either.
4. Create fun snacks: Schedule snack times — most kids like routines.
Healthy between-meal snacks are a great opportunity to offer fruits and
vegetables. Kids like to pick up foods, so give them finger foods they
can handle. Cut up a fruit and arrange it on an attractive plate. Make
a smoothie or freeze a smoothie in ice cube trays. Create a smiley face
from cut-up vegetables and serve with a small portion of low-fat salad
dressing, hummus or plain low-fat yogurt. A positive experience with food
is important. Never force your child to eat something, or use food as a
punishment or reward.
5. Give kids choices — within limits: Too many choices can overwhelm a
small child. It’s too open ended to ask, “What would you like for
lunch?” It may start a mealtime meltdown. Instead, offer them limited
healthy choices, such as choosing between a banana or strawberries with
their cereal, or carrots or broccoli with dinner.
6. Eat together as a family: If your schedules permit, family dining is a
great time to help your kids develop healthy attitudes about food and the
social aspects of eating with others. Make sure you are eating
vegetables in front of your children. Even if they aren’t eating certain
vegetables yet, they will model your behavior.
7. Expect pushback: As your kids are exposed to other families’ eating
habits, they may start to reject some of your healthy offerings. Without
making a disparaging remark about their friends’ diet, let your children
know that fruits and vegetables come first in your family.
8. Grow it: Start from the ground up — create a kitchen garden with your
child and let them plant tomatoes and herbs, such as basil and oregano in
window boxes. If you have space for a garden, help them cultivate their
own plot and choose plants that grow quickly, such as beans, cherry
tomatoes, snow peas and radishes. Provide child-size gardening tools
appropriate to their age.
9. Covert operations: You may have tried everything in this list and more,
yet your child’s lips remain zipped when offered a fruit or vegetable.
Try sneaking grated or pureed carrots or zucchini into pasta or pizza
sauces. Casseroles are also a good place to hide pureed vegetables. You
can also add fruits and vegetables to foods they already enjoy, such as
pancakes with blueberries, carrot muffins or fruit slices added to
cereal. On occasions when you serve dessert, include diced fruit as an
option.
10. Be patient: Changes in your child’s food preferences will happen slowly.
They may prefer sweet fruits, such as strawberries, apples and bananas,
before they attempt vegetables. Eventually, your child may start trying
the new vegetable. Many kids need to see and taste a new food a dozen
times before they know whether they truly like it. Try putting a small
amount of the new food — one or two broccoli florets — on their plate
every day for two weeks; but don’t draw attention to it.
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