The benefits of healthy food for kids
Peer pressure and TV commercials for junk food can make getting your children to eat well an uphill struggle. A healthy diet can also have a profound effect on your child’s sense of mental and emotional wellbeing, helping to prevent conditions such as depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and ADHD. Eating well supports your child’s healthy growth and development into adulthood and may even play a role in lowering their risk of suicide. It’s important to remember that your kids aren’t born with a craving for French fries and pizza and an aversion to broccoli and carrots. To encourage healthy eating habits, the challenge is to make nutritious choices appealing. Focus on overall diet rather than specific foods. Get kids involved in shopping for groceries and preparing meals. You can teach them about different foods and how to read food labels. Make healthy snacks available. Keep plenty of fruit, vegetables, and healthy beverages (water, milk, pure fruit juice) on hand kids avoid unhealthy snacks like soda, chips, and cookies. Fast food is typically high in sugar, unhealthy fat, and calories and low in nutrients. Still, junk food is tempting for kids, so instead of eliminating it entirely, try to cut back on the times your kids eat fast food and, on the times that they do, make the healthiest choices possible. Healthy fat helps kids fill up (and stay full), concentrate better, and improves their mood. The healthy fats are Monounsaturated fats from olive oil, avocados, nuts, Polyunsaturated fats including Omega-3 fatty acids, found in fatty fish. The first step is to limit access to unhealthy sweets and salty snacks. The benefits of lifelong exercise are abundant, and regular exercise can even help motivate your kids to make healthy food choices. Protein-rich foods include lean meat, fish, chicken, eggs, beans, lentils, chickpeas, tofu and nuts. These foods are important for your child's growth and muscle development. Encourage your child to eat and drink fat-free or low-fat dairy products, such as milk, yogurt, cheese or fortified soy beverages. Snack time is a great opportunity to sneak some extra nutrients into your child's diet. School-age children need to eat foods from all five healthy food groups – vegetables, fruit, grain foods, dairy and protein. Limit salty, fatty and sugary foods, low-fiber foods, and drinks with caffeine or a lot of sugar. Fruit and veggies give your child energy, vitamins, anti-oxidants, fiber and water. These nutrients help to protect your child from diseases later in life, including diseases like heart disease, stroke and some cancers. Protein-rich foods include lean meat, fish, chicken, eggs, beans, lentils, chickpeas, tofu and nuts. These foods are important for your child’s growth and muscle development. Water is the healthiest drink for children. It’s also the cheapest. Most tap water is fortified with fluoride for strong teeth, too. Children aged over two years can have reduced-fat dairy products. Grain foods with a low glycemic index, like wholegrain pasta and breads, will give your child longer-lasting energy and keep them feeling fuller for longer. Foods and drinks with caffeine aren’t recommended for children, because caffeine stops the body from absorbing calcium well. Caffeine is also a stimulant, which means it gives children artificial energy.
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