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How to Encourage Healthy Eating Habits in Kids

November 21, 2018 by Dani 27 Comments

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Healthy eating habits were forced on me as a kid. There are a few stories about me from my childhood that circulate through my family often, even now. Mind you, I am 37. One is about how when I was little, I would never eat the food I was given and would sit and hold it in my cheek for hours.

It was a battle of wills between me and whichever adult was unlucky enough to be taking care of me at the time. I remember sitting alone in the kitchen with food in my mouth while everyone else went about their day.

We always had healthy, home made food. Needless to say, us kids we always begged for junk food. Fast food was a rarity. Even “junky” treats were home made. As a tween/teen I lost my mind spending my little money on unhealthy foods I didn’t get to try out as a child.

Now, as an adult in Mom mode, I am all about ensuring my kids create healthy eating habits, but I allow some treats along the way.

Here are a few tips to help you encourage healthy eating habits in your children:

Model healthy eating habits

We’ve heard this one before. Kids will do as you do, not as you say. I have recently changed how I eat and both of my children, even at 6 and 4, have noticed and started asking questions. I answer honestly, and give them as much information about my food choices as they can handle. They still prefer their kiddie options, but I see the wheels spinning in their heads about Mommy’s healthy stuff.

Don’t Fight

This tip is hard for me. Sometimes dinnertime feels like a war when it comes down to getting a little broccoli floret in Kaya’s mouth. Encouraging healthy eating habits shouldn’t be this hard! I read some articles from a parenting guru that reminded me not to dig in my heels, because it’ll only make Kaya dig hers in further as well.
Instead we should keep the vibe easy breezy and upbeat. Don’t let the enemy see you sweat!

Praise Good Choices

I’m all about the praise. Rohan loves salads so I heap on the praise when he eats them, even though it’s a given. I can then use it as a reminder to trigger healthy eating habits when he has a pile of green beans on his plate that he is not so keen on. Kaya acts like vegetables are poison. She acts like meat is poison as well. OK, if I’m honest, she acts like eating anything that isn’t toast or noodles will end her life. So with her I cajole her into trying a tiny bite of a meal and then give her lots of praise for doing so. (It’s exhausting, but helping her venture out of her box with food choices and develop those healthy eating habits.)

Get the Kids Involved

Having kids help cook meals is great. Giving them a choice between two veggies is great as well. Getting your kids involved in the meal helps them take ownership and be more likely to eat the healthy choices, generating lifelong healthy eating habits, with no fuss.

This can go much deeper than the tactics above. You can have your kids help you with meal planning for the week and grocery shopping as well as picking herbs or veggies from your garden if available. Teaching your children about food and where it comes from when they’re not at the kitchen table helps them feel more in control of their choice to eat it when they are sitting down for the meal.

Don’t Make Foods “Bad”

We know there are some foods that are healthier to our bodies than others, but if we make some foods the good guys and some the bad guys, kids may develop a bipolar, all or nothing relationship with food. Developing healthy eating habits involves seeing foods in a balanced way.

A more objective, nutrition-based view of food, or taking a “how I feel” approach may help. Explain what certain foods do inside the body and ask your kids to describe how they feel after eating certain foods. (You may have to prompt them a bit because they may say “great!!” after they eat a huge bowl of candy.)

Lie & Cheat

Yeah I said it. Lie as long as you can, and cheat whenever necessary. I’ve done it for the 6.5 years that I’ve been a mother and I don’t plan on stopping until these two gullible goats wise up a bit more. Use healthier substitutes they never know about. Sneak veggies into their pasta sauce. Give them cauliflower tots and pretend it’s potato. Tell them the tofu chunks in their soup are cheese. I won’t tell if you don’t!

Allow Treats

Growing up we didn’t eat sweets very often. We didn’t often have treats that were store bought. Home made cookies and brownies, even ice cream that my gram made in this huge ice cream maker with a big spinning arm on it.

I allow treats but I am getting more and more selective of what I will offer Rohan and Kaya. Cat Island Cookie and Cracker Company is a 100% natural brand that I feel comfy giving the kids. They make cookies and crackers in many flavors and they are all free of preservatives with no artificial flavors added.

We have been munching on them for a while and have found our favorites. The savory cheese crackers are John’s favorite because they are low carb. I like em too. The spicy asiago flavor is dope, and legit spicy.

This one is John’s favorite.

Giveaway Time!!

You can win a prize pack from Cat Island featuring all their delicious flavors!!!

Visit the site and read the story about how they started. PS it is a woman owned company! #girlpower

Or, visit Cat Island on Facebook or Instagram.

Come back and leave me a comment below on which flavors (not shown in this post) you would like to try.

One lucky winner (chosen via random.org) will win a yummy prize pack of goodies from Cat Island!

Giveaway ends 12/21/18! One entry per household. US only. 18yrs+

Good Luck, friends!

This post and giveaway is sponsored by Cat Island and all words, images, and all related tomfoolery are my own.

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Filed Under: Lifestyle

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Comments

  1. YVETTE says

    December 11, 2018 at 12:54 pm

    Your childhood eating habits sound a lot like the beginning for my children as well. And you are right it made them (the now older ones) do exactly what you did. Load up on junk and processed food.

    I would have to agree with the tips as well. They are all tried and true. I will continue to offer options and lie and cheat my way through as I have 1 that is still young. It works I must say. My 2 older ones know what i am doing as they stand on the sideline of their little sister laughing insise.

    Reply
  2. Andrea Eisen says

    December 11, 2018 at 9:39 pm

    What!?! Toffee AND a Brown Butter flavor? Yum. These sound amazing. I think my kiddo and I would both love them. Also, this is so not the point, but there is a freaking fudge-fest brownie on their site that I want RIGHT THIS VERY MINUTE. omg.

    And these pics of those kids of yours – adorable.

    Reply
  3. Cynthia C says

    December 12, 2018 at 2:34 pm

    I would enjoy the Artisinal Orange Blossom Butter Cookies.

    Reply
  4. Kenneth Helmick says

    December 12, 2018 at 9:26 pm

    Artisinal Orange Blossom Butter Cookies.

    Reply
  5. beth shepherd says

    December 13, 2018 at 6:01 pm

    Artisinal Orange Blossom Butter Cookies

    Reply
  6. Lynne Marie says

    December 13, 2018 at 8:22 pm

    Spicy Asiago sounds SO GOOD!!! I love spicy food and Asiago is one of my favorite cheeses. But honestly, every one of the flavors sound great.

    Reply
  7. Ashley c says

    December 14, 2018 at 11:51 am

    I would love to try the deep c chocolate chip cookies

    Reply
  8. Kyl Neusch says

    December 14, 2018 at 4:23 pm

    the Artisinal Orange Blossom Butter Cookies.

    Reply
  9. Jennifer Reed says

    December 17, 2018 at 7:56 pm

    I visited the Cat Island Cookie and Cracker Co. and I also think the Pecan Chocolate Chip Cookies look wonderful. All of their varieties look really good.

    Reply
  10. Elizabeth says

    December 18, 2018 at 1:04 pm

    I love these tips. Healthy eating from day 1 is the way to go for a healthy childhood.

    Reply
  11. Clarissa says

    December 18, 2018 at 5:19 pm

    Thanks for these healthy eating tips. I definitely used to have to sneak pureed veggies into my kids when they were younger.

    Reply
  12. Vera says

    December 18, 2018 at 5:21 pm

    Modeling is key!! I absolutely agree.

    Reply
  13. Lashawn says

    December 19, 2018 at 11:04 am

    The don’t fight part was so hard for me! LOL. But it helps of you act like it’s not a big deal.

    Reply
  14. Susan Smith says

    December 19, 2018 at 4:44 pm

    The Toffee Chocolate Chip flavor sounds delicious.

    Reply
  15. JulieD says

    December 20, 2018 at 10:46 am

    I love these tips! I want to try the Lime Butter Cookies!

    Reply
  16. Lauren says

    December 20, 2018 at 10:58 am

    My younger son is making such bad choices and is ravenous. He threw up Sunday night eating so much. I don’t want to yell, but I’m freaking out. Called the doctor. Thanks for this!

    Reply
  17. Lisa @ Crazy Adventures in Parenting says

    December 20, 2018 at 11:09 am

    Those cheese crackers are ADDICTING! These are wonderful tips!!!

    Reply
  18. Antoinette M says

    December 20, 2018 at 12:45 pm

    I would like to try the Spicy Asiago Wafers.

    Reply
  19. Vicki Andrew says

    December 20, 2018 at 3:25 pm

    Really want to try the Lime and Brown Butter but for the sake of this contest my choice would be the Artisinal Orange Blossom Butter Cookies.

    Reply
  20. Aaron says

    December 20, 2018 at 3:58 pm

    I would most like to try the Orange Blossom Butter Cookies!

    Reply
  21. Sonya Allstun says

    December 20, 2018 at 9:44 pm

    I think the Pecan Chocolate Chip Cookies look amazing and sooo yummy

    Reply
  22. Laurie Emerson says

    December 20, 2018 at 10:25 pm

    I would love to try the Pecan Chocolate Chip flavor.

    Reply
  23. Breanne says

    December 21, 2018 at 10:24 pm

    I would like to try the Lemon Butter Cookies.

    Reply
  24. Janine Hwang says

    December 21, 2018 at 11:22 pm

    The brown butter variety sound yummy

    Reply
  25. Fiona Manoon says

    March 1, 2019 at 12:43 am

    It looks very yummy.

    Thanks for sharing such a delicious recipe with us.

    Reply
  26. Mahima says

    March 1, 2019 at 1:41 am

    Thank you so much for sharing recipes.Great blog!!!

    Reply

Trackbacks

  1. How to Encourage Healthy Eating Habits in Kids ⋆ Ok, Dani - Sarms for Sale says:
    December 18, 2020 at 11:29 am

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