We appreciate how busy running a household is. Sometimes it’s easier to be thankful the family are at least fed and watered. However, as a society taking care of our health is becoming increasingly concerning, and it is so important to instil healthy habits now to lead our little ones into healthier lifestyle as they grow.
Sadly, the UK suffers from one of the highest childhood obesity rates in Europe.
In 2018, as many as one in ten kids aged between four to five were obese, and this quickly shot up to roughly one in five aged between ten to eleven!
With childhood obesity posing a genuine threat to your kids’ health, it’s wise to swot up on ways to encourage your little ones to make healthier choices.
In light of that, we’ve listed some of the easiest ways to hit the ground running with this.
Practice What You Preach
You are your child’s role model. Kids look up to their parents and pick up on what they see.
So, how can you expect your child to make healthy decisions if you’re gorging on fatty foods and sugary snacks? Instead, make the kinds of healthy choices that you want your little ones to make.
Get Your Kids Involved
One of the most effective ways to encourage kids to get excited about healthy living is to get them involved. Here are some of the easiest ways to do that:
- Ask for your child for their input when grocery shopping
- Get your child to help you prepare meals
- Grow your own vegetables and eat them
- Teach them about different foods
- Educate them on how to read food labels
All of the above goes a long way to educating and encouraging your children to make healthier choices, as well as providing the perfect opportunity for your children to try new foods. Jamie Oliver said it best when he says, “If kids are involved in growing and cooking (healthy) food they’re far more likely to eat it.”
Keep Healthy Snacks in The House
Snacking on junk food like biscuits, crisps, sweets, etc. is a common pitfall. As such, the easiest way to counteract this is by ensuring you have plenty of healthy snacks available, such as fruit, vegetables, low-fat cheese, etc.
If you want to get creative, head to Pinterest and get some inspiration. There are tons of ways you could jazz up snack time!
Top Tip: Research shows kids are more likely to eat vegetables when you give them fun names. For example, cool cauliflower, power peas, crazy carrots, and so on.
Reward Healthy Choices
Kids want to please their parents. So, be sure to give your little ones plenty of praise when they make healthy choices. This will be a huge motivator for them to continue making healthful decisions.
Get Back to Your Food’s Roots
Give your kids an understanding of where their food comes from. This is one of the most effective ways of getting your children to engage with healthy living. Why not take them fruit and/or vegetable picking? Or, plan a dairy farm trip to teach kids where milk and cheese come from? If you have space, you could even grow your own vegetables!
Pro Tip: Tomatoes are a great starting point. They don’t take up much space, and they’re relatively easy to grow for beginners.
To learn more, get in touch with us today.
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