Although couples are still able to maintain healthy eating habits after their first child arrives, they tend to falter on the routine after the birth of the second child. The presence of colorful cereals and other dairy products tend to dominate the household menus rather than munching on more vegetables and fruits. Somehow, this framework impacts children’s perspectives in terms of which foods are nutritious and which needs to be removed.
Here are some ways to get you and your family back on the right track:
A study has indicated that parenting styles are linked to family meals. In turn, family meals also have an effect on adolescents’ eating habits. The University of Minnesota has found that children with authoritative parents take on family meals more frequently.
According to the university’s data, family meals tend to persuade adolescents to take on healthier diets. Thus, parents need to be authoritative. When they are, they tend to emphasize more on family meals – thereby helping their kids grow healthier.
While summer for kids is their only time to relax and unwind after weeks of late-night homework and projects screaming for deadlines, it’s also the time for parents to think of healthy recipes for their kids as the new school year is about to roll out. Right, packed lunches and snacks are parents’ greatest solution to keep their kids away from unhealthy vending machines, but unless you know how to do it right, your kids will still probably have a hard time saying goodbye to sodas and fried chips when they go back to school.
Sure, parents’ have too much to do in making ends meet, however, prioritizing healthy lunches this “back to school” season is as important as getting your job done professionally in the office. So what options are we looking at here when preparing for our kids’ healthy lunches and snacks?
Exactly, how much are you willing to pay for a healthier menu? Or, are you going to spend at all for a plate of green salad over a serving of a quarter pounder burger?
Fast food is among the least healthy place to be in, but surprisingly, people just don’t heed the advice. Every day if you pass by any nearest fast food chain in your area you can’t help but notice how many people would flock in fast foods for lunch and dinner. Many people just love burgers, fries, and all those greasy food even if it means higher risk of heart attack as they age should they continue binging on them.
School demands a lot from students. Homework, school projects, extra co-curricular activities, examinations and others keep students busy and exhausted. Since it’s a must for students to learn in school, they should eat and live healthy.
Here are some very essential tips for parents to help children of all ages eat and live healthily:
- Breakfast is a must because it provides energy for the brain so they continue learning in school. Second, breakfast helps them maintain a healthy weight. So, do insist your children to eat breakfast and never miss one every day.
- Snacking can be healthy. Just don’t overeat and do not rely on greasy, unhealthy fast food types of snacks. Ensure that you have nutritious foods (e.g. veggies, fruits, cheese sticks, low-fat yogurt, butter-free popcorn, etc.) at home so your children can easily munch on their healthy snacks.
The fight against childhood obesity in the US is getting stronger by the minute, as schools continue to look for ways on how to improve the food they’d be serving the students this coming school year. Among the new healthier menus being cooked up for the incoming student bodies are: jicama, star fruit, sweet potato puffs, collard greens, edamame, egg-white omelets, and fish tacos.
In a new survey completed recently by nutrition directors in 538 districts around the country, 95 percent of the surveyed schools are increasing whole-grain offerings and 90 percent are including more fresh fruits and vegetables in their school meals. In addition, it was also recorded that around 69 percent are reducing sodium content and 66 percent are reducing added sugar in their menus. And best of all and this will surely make a lot more parents feel happier, 67 percent of those with vending machines are making healthier drinks more available for students.
On July 13, First Lady Michelle Obama hosted a national live web chat promoting her new project to prevent childhood obesity among children. The project was spearheaded to address the growing obesity problem among children in Sacramento. Often, parents fail to recognize that their children are suffering from this serious health condition because many public schools in the country are loaded with vending machines selling sodas with artificial sweeteners that cause weight problems.
The Journal of Food Science published a study on April 11, 2007 which reveals that a natural orange juice is packed with nutrients than apple, prune, and pineapple. It also shows that 100 percent orange juice is able to provide 25% of the total daily fruit and vegetable servings as required by the US dietary allowance based on a 2,000-calorie diet. The study was led by Dr. Gail Rampersaud of University of Florida’s Nutrition Research and Education, Inst. of Food and Agricultural Sciences, and Food Science and Human Nutrition Department.
Plan your daily diet and see how it can make a big difference in your eating. You can easily change your junk food routine. Here are some steps to help you.