From their first moment of life, we make food choices for our children on a regular basis. At the start, the choices are simple and easy to provide. Newborns eat when they are hungry and sleep when they are not. As our babies grow, their eating choices broaden but are still relatively simple. Baby food has quite a bit of variety but maintains healthy food selections.
By the time a child reaches the age of 3, their diet may be similar to your own. Healthy choices for children should be respective of the fact that children are smaller and do not require as much food. This is called portion control and involves making sure that your child is eating the correct portion size. If you are unsure, check with the label of the product you’re serving. Often a serving size of cereal is ½ cup.
Fast food can be an additively unhealthy choice for children. Although many fast food restaurants have expanded their kid’s meal choices to include fresh fruit, it is still important to consider the salt and fat content in most fast food burgers, chicken, and fries. Try to reserve fast food as a special or rare occasion food choice.
Who wants to cook every night, right? Who has the time may be an even more important question. Dining at home serves many purposes however. It provides an opportunity to spend time with your child. A home cooked meal typically provides more nutrition than fast food such as pizza, burgers or chicken. Try preparing a few simple meals with your child and store them in the freezer until the day they’re needed.
Most children go through a picky phase. It’s okay. When you offer your child a vegetable or anything else that they refuse to eat, don’t force them. Try introducing the food again later. Consider using a different variety, especially when it comes to vegetables. If your child simple will not eat vegetables, consider an alternative vegetable source such as V8 Splash that has both fruit and vegetables in a serving.
Every meal doesn’t have to be at home or fast food. Many dine-in restaurants offer nutritional choices for children and also practice proper portion control. Bob Evans treats the eating experience for children like fun. French fries are baked into smiley face shapes and children who don’t mind eating vegetables can usually choose from green beans or salad.
Snack time is often the highlight of a child’s day. Snacks can be an excellent way to boost your child’s energy level and provide them with something enjoyable to eat. Raisins, carrots, celery and apples are all great snack choices. Remember to keep eating ideas creative and fun. Kids love food that’s fun to eat.
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