How to involve your family in eating healthy – The role of Parents

We all ore each other the duty of care to bring up healthy families. How to involve your family in eating healthy food will depend on whether you are practicing the same or not

There is a wise saying that state “charity begins at home” and I can bet that you are not hearing it for the first time from me. making refence to this I want us to explore on the possibilities of using family as the first unit of learning and practicing healthy living by adopting healthy feeding habits. Collectively as members of family we ore each other the duty of care to seeing that what we feed on is healthy and beneficial to our wellbeing. The holy book also state in one of the verses that teach a child on the ways to follow and when they grow up they will not depart from it. If you look keenly on the rate of obesity and overweight, you will realize that it is almost becoming out of hand. I ask is it because we were not taught well on healthy living? If so a time has come when we must do things differently and live up to standard with the required weight that will not bring health complications in out health.

Therefore collectively as family irrespective of your position in that family (whether you have a toddler, a teen or adult) we must observe the following strategies to improve nutrition and encourage smart eating habits:

• Serve a variety of healthy foods and snacks.
• Be a role model by eating healthy yourself.
• Have regular family meals.
• Involve kids in the process.
• Avoid battles over food.

I am not saying that eating well will be easy the truth is it will be hard because different members of the family schedules are hectic and grab-and-go convenience food is readily available. However busy your household schedule may be try to consider the following strategies:

Family Meals

Family meals are a comforting ritual for both parents and kids. Children like the predictability of family meals and parents get a chance to catch up with their kids at the table. Kids who take part in regular family meals are also:

• More likely to eat fruits, vegetables, and grains
• Less likely to snack on unhealthy foods
• Less likely to smoke, use marijuana, or drink alcohol

The family meals offer the parents an opportunity to introduce their kids to new foods and to be role models for healthy eating.

Parents need to be very careful when handling teens because in many cases they are likely to turn up their noses at the prospect of a family meal not surprising because they’re busy and want to be more independent. Nonetheless studies have established that teens will still want their parents’ advice and counsel, this should be a motivation for parents to use mealtime as a chance to reconnect. You may also want to consider the following tips:

• Allow your kids to invite a friend to dinner.
• Involve your child in meal planning and preparation.
• Keep mealtime calm and friendly no lectures or arguing.

What counts as a family meal? – Whenever you and your family eat together, whether it’s takeout food or a home-cooked meal with all the trimmings. Endeavor for nutritious food and a time when everyone can be there. This may mean re-scheduling time for eating dinner a little later to accommodate a teen who’s at sports practice. It also can mean setting aside time on the weekends when it may be more convenient to gather as a group, such as for Sunday brunch.

Stock Up on Healthy Foods

Kids, especially younger ones, will eat mostly what’s available at home. That’s why it’s important to control the supply lines the foods that you serve for meals and have on hand for snacks. The following basic guidelines may be helpful:

• Work fruits and vegetables into the daily routine – aiming for the goal of at least five servings a day. Be sure you serve fruit or vegetables at every meal.
• Make it easy for kids to choose healthy snacks – by keeping fruits and vegetables on hand and ready to eat. Other good snacks include low-fat yogurt, peanut butter and celery, or whole-grain crackers and cheese.
• Serve lean meats and other good sources of protein – such as fish, eggs, beans, and nuts.
• Choose whole-grain breads and cereals – so kids get more fiber.
• Limit fat intake – by avoiding fried foods and choosing healthier cooking methods, such as broiling, grilling, roasting, and steaming. Choose low-fat or nonfat dairy products.
• Limit fast food and low-nutrient snacks – such as chips and candy. But don’t completely ban favorite snacks from your home. Instead, make them “once-in-a-while” foods, so kids don’t feel deprived.
• Limit sugary drinks – such as soda and fruit-flavored drinks. Serve water and low-fat milk instead.

Be a Role Model

This brings us to the wise saying and the quote from the holy book stated above. Therefore the best way for you to encourage healthy eating is to eat well yourself. Remember that kids will follow the lead of the adults they see every day. By eating fruits and vegetables and not overindulging in the less nutritious stuff, you’ll be sending the right message hone for your kids.

Another way to be a good role model is to serve appropriate portions and not overeat. Talk about your feelings of fullness, especially with younger children. You might say, “this is delicious, but I’m full, so I’m going to stop eating.” Similarly, parents who are always dieting or complaining about their bodies may foster these same negative feelings in their kids. Try to keep a positive approach about food.

Get Kids Involved

• Most kids will enjoy deciding what to make for dinner.
• Talk to them about making choices and planning a balanced meal.
• Some might even want to help shop for ingredients and prepare the meal.
• At the store, teach kids to check out food labels to begin understanding what to look for.
• In the kitchen, select age-appropriate tasks so kids can play a part without getting injured or feeling overwhelmed. And at the end of the meal, don’t forget to praise the chef.
• School lunches can be another learning lesson for kids. More important, if you can get them thinking about what they eat for lunch, you might be able to help them make positive changes.
• Brainstorm about what kinds of foods they’d like for lunch or go to the grocery store to shop together for healthy, packable foods.

Doing this may not be easy if you’re are already struggling with your own poor eating habit and so seeking professional help from doctor Dalal Akoury will benefits you greatly. Doctor Akoury is weight loss professional and also an expert in nutrition. She founded AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center a facility in whose sole objective is to transform each individual’s life through increasing awareness about health and wellness and by empowering individuals to find their own inner healing power. Her practice focuses on personalized medicine through healthy lifestyle choices that deal with primary prevention and underlying causes instead of patching up symptoms. You may want to schedule for an appointment with her today for real time solution to all your queries.

How to involve your family in eating healthy – The role of Parents