Teaching Kids to Eat Right Through Play Food
As parent it seems like days consists of nothing but chores. Having to run errands all around town including picking up and dropping off the kids, taking care of finances and finally making sure everyone gets fed amongst all the chaos. With all the madness you may have to resort to a frozen meal or two every once in awhile. We've all done it! But despite the craziness of everyday life you as a parent want your child to eat well and get the nutrition they need. However most of the time you don't have the ability to sit by your child as they eat and make sure they finish every bite of their vegetables at every meal. Currently childhood obesity is at an all time high with over 20% of children in the overweight category. Childhood Obesity also known to cause illnesses such as Type 2 diabetes, Insulin resistance, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, sleep apnea, and liver disease. But there doesn't need to be all doom when it comes to your child's nutrition. You can help your child eat better by taking a few simple steps.
The goal is to make changes in your child's eating habits not put them on a diet. A simple step could be to start every meal off with a fresh salad or adding a side dish of fresh steamed veggies. Making this a daily routine will help incorporate vegetables in your child's everyday eating habits. Vegetables not on your childýs list of favorite foods then try steps to cooking lighter. Instead of using butter or oil use a low calorie substitute. Also a great way to help with your child's nutrition is to cut down on soda intake. At the dinner table have things like water, milk and fresh juices instead. This will bring necessary nutrients while also cutting out the high levels of sugar and calories that are contained in soda. Finally at the end of dinner rather than serve a dessert of ice cream, cake and pudding try switching things up with some fresh fruit. Sliced watermelon, strawberries, pineapple and oranges are just a few ideas to help incorporate fruits into your childýs eating habits as well.
One unique way to encourage your children to eat healthier is to show them through their toys. As parents it seems that with children play always imitates life. Manufacturers like Melissa & Doug have a great set of toys that can teach any child the appreciation for fruits, vegetables and eating a balanced diet. First they have the Play-time Produce Vegetable Set. This set contains tomatoes, corn, carrots, cucumbers and other vegetables. With this durable, light-weight and health conscious toy you can get your kids to love their veggies early on. Another set is the Cutting Fruit set. This set contains 17 hand-painted wooden pieces of fruit along with a wooden knife. When you use the wooden knife the fruit makes a realistic cutting sound. With this fun and unique set you can teach your child how to get their five servings in a day. Another favorite is the food groups set. This well-balanced 21 piece food set with all four food groups, individually boxed in wooden crates for storage, sorting and stacking is perfect for teaching children about healthy eating. All the pieces are made of wood so they are sturdy and durable for even the roughest of play. Another great thing about all these products mentioned is that they are all non-toxic, which is perfect for food play!
Hopefully with a few of these easy tips you and your kids will be off to happy and healthy eating. Plus pretend play fun instead of hours in front of the TV.
Alycia Shapiro is the head cheese at SensoryEdge. Known for kids furniture and educational toys. You'll also find great toy food sets that will provide fun and education year round. For more on childhood obesity, please visit http://www.obesityprevention.org/childhood/index.html.
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