How to get kids to eat healthy

Getting children especially teenagers to eat healthy and balanced diet can be a challenge as they are usually addicted to what is termed as junk food, which though is not always terrible, can have adverse effect on their body.

Below are tips to getting children to eat right:

Plan ahead: Whether you are eating on the run or running out to eat, you can find healthy food for the kids if you make advance plans. These do-ahead strategies to improve your child’s eating habits.

Make time for breakfast. Give your family a good start with the most important meal of the day. Breakfast helps boost concentration in the boardroom or classroom, may aid in maintaining a healthy weight, and provides the energy needed for morning activities. These tips can help you make sure breakfast is part of your child’s healthy diet.

Keep it simple. If your kids aren’t hungry in the morning, make breakfast small and simple.

Prepare something to take with you. Toss pre-sliced fruit and cheese into a plastic container, make a peanut butter and banana sandwich, top a toasted bagel with hummus, or blend up a fruit smoothie. It makes it easy to avoid junk. sta with roasted veggies.

Car-Friendly Snacks: Pack healthy snacks that kids can manage themselves, including shelf-stable foods and fresh foods. Kid-friendly, healthy foods can include; fresh, easy-to-eat produce like apples, bananas, and grapes, dried fruit such as cranberries, raisins, apricots, apples, and pineapple, low-sugar granola bars, whole-grain crackers with peanut butter, single-serving containers of yogurt and dried cereal packed into single-serving containers

Make it easier to find restaurants that serve healthy food for kids by knowing where you are going before you get there. Instead of driving around looking for inspiration, pick the restaurant in advance. Focus on places with healthy options.

Give them healthy choices: Let them choose between a carrot, tangerine or a handful of grapes, and you will probably get a much livelier response than just handing them one. We all like choice, so whether at home or away, you can win kids over to healthier eating and give your children’s diet a boost by letting them pick what to eat. Just make sure their options are healthy ones.

Get the kids involved: Your kids will be more interested in healthy meals if they help plan and prepare them. So get your kids brainstorming about tasty, fast, healthy breakfasts, lunches, dinners, and snacks, then let them help you:

Don’t forget to plan treats at home and when you’re eating out. To keep kids from feeling deprived, you don’t want to ban food favorites like chips, ice cream, and candies — just make sure they are special now-and-then treats.

READ ALSO: Shelve planned protest, Yoruba Diaspora group tells Nigerians