Healthy eating habits in childhood will lay down the foundation for lifelong well-being. Children who develop balanced eating habits early will be more likely to maintain a healthy weight, have better concentration in school, and avoid nutrition-related problems in life. However, with easy availability of processed foods and busy family schedules, many parents are finding it very challenging to provide their kids with appropriate nutrition and healthy food. For this, consulting the top paediatrician in Vijayawada will be recommended for parents so that everyone will be able to establish healthy eating habits which require patience, consistency and creativity.
Feasible tips for parents to encourage healthy eating in children:
- Beginning very early with healthy food items: Introducing a variety of nutritious foods as soon as the child begins eating solid food is very important because early exposure to the fruits, vegetables and protein-rich food items will increase the chances of children accepting them later. Babies and toddlers are naturally very curious about the taste and texture, and using this particular stage for offering different flavours without excessive oil and sugar is important to avoid any problems.
- You should become a role model: Children will usually imitate the eating habits of their parents and caregivers, and if they see you enjoying healthy means, drinking water and instead of sugar drinks choosing balanced snacks, they will be more likely to follow the same perspective. Eating together as a family will be helpful in reinforcing the message that healthy eating is a very important shared value, and everybody has to follow it.
- Creating the structured meal schedule: Having regular meal and snack times will always allow the children to understand when they have to eat and when they have to stop. This will be helpful in preventing the consistent grazing on the food items and will also be helpful in eliminating overeating in the lives of kids. This will make sure that there will be no chance of any kind of poor nutrition choices, and everything will be very well sorted out. You should always focus on setting the goal for at least three main meals and two healthy snacks at consistent times every day, so that everything will be very well sorted.
- Making the meals a positive experience: You must always focus on avoiding turning a meal time into a battle so that there is no chance of pressure or forceful behaviour on the children to eat certain food items at any point in time. If you will be resolving such issues, then definitely it will lead to backfire and will make the children more resistant to such items. So instead of this, you should keep your atmosphere relaxed as well as pleasant so that you can encourage the kids by motivation to give a try to multiple food items without any stress or punishment-related fear.
- Involving the kids in preparation of the food: Many modern-day doctors at the best children care clinic in Vijayawada very well recommend that parents involve the kids in the food preparation process so that they will be able to learn things side-by-side. Kids will be more likely to eat whenever they are preparing, and let them wash the vegetables, arrange the fruit and choose the toppings for a healthy pizza. Hands-on involvement in this particular case will make them very curious and excited about the food on their plate.
- You should offer healthy choices: Instead of asking the kids time and again about what they will be having for dinner, which could lead to unhealthy requests, you should offer them two healthy options, like Would you like to have carrots or cucumbers with your lunch. This will always provide the children with a sense of control in terms of making very nutritious choices, and eventually, they will also feel very happy because they have been involved in the decision-making.
- You should limit the use of processed and sugary foods: While occasional treats are very much fine, frequent consumption of sugary snacks, fast food, and processed items will lead to unhealthy cravings and will replace the nutritious foods. So, keeping the snacks healthy, like yoghurt, nuts, and fresh fruits, in the approach will be very important so that everything will be readily available and there will be no scope for unhealthy eating.
- Encouraging mindful eating: Teaching children about eating slowly and paying attention to their hunger and fullness habits will be very important, so that they will be able to remain encouraged in terms of dealing with things. Encouraging the kids to put the fork down between bites, chew properly and enjoy the flavours will be very important so that they will be able to avoid the distractions and further will be able to enjoy the exact texture and taste of the food. Further avoiding distractions like tablets, TV and phone during food consumption is important for parents.
- Introducing the new foods slowly and gradually: Children usually will be rejecting the unfamiliar foods in the very first instance, and research very well recommends that taking approximately 15 tries before they accept a new food is very much normal which is the main reason that as parents you should focus on offering them with things time and again in new form. Initially, keeping portions very much appropriate is important so that everybody can begin with small servings and eventually will be able to enjoy whenever they are hungry.
Conclusion: Keeping the healthy snacks accessible and respecting the individual appetite will also be very important for the parents, and the best paediatric gastroenterologist will be recommending that the parents nurture the positive relationship between the children and food. Children who will be eating mindfully will be able to enjoy a good variety of nutritious foods and will further be able to grow into healthy, energetic and confident adults. The goal in this particular case is not perfection, but it is about progress to help the children develop the habits which will serve them for life.







