The new year is often a time when people are motivated to change old ways and create new healthful habits. The following is a list of 5 tips to help you raise healthy eaters in the new year:
- Eat meals as a family when possible, in a calm and pleasant space that is free from distractions, like cellphones and TV’s in order to foster an environment where children and adults are encouraged to talk together.
- As the parent or guardian, it is your role to decide what foods will be served and at which times.
- Allow children to use their own internal hunger and fullness cues to decide when, what, and how much of the food provided they’d like to eat. Forcing children to finish all the food on their plate can tarnish these innate feelings and cause a poor relationship with food later on in life.
- Explore a variety of flavors and foods from different cultures and regions. The more exposure earlier on will help reduce the likelihood that your child is picky.
- Make food safety, such as washing hands, a part of every eating occasion.
Written by Victoria Luera, Lone Star Circle of Care Registered Dietitian. Submitted by Ashley Wild
