If you eat right, your kids will most likely do the same. According to nutritionists, parents greatly influence their children’s eating habits and feelings about food. Unfortunately, many parents are saying one thing and doing another, like the mom who says that breakfast is the most important meal of the day and then she goes and skips breakfast. Then there are the parents who ban certain foods altogether, which tends to make them even more tempting. Some parents even use food to reward and punish.
Food experts say that what parents say and do is just as important as the food that they serve. Robin Miller, a nutritionist on the Food Network show, says that helping kids to have a healthy outlook about food will most likely lead them to eating healthy as an adult.
Ivonne Hamilton, a registered dietician who works at The Counseling Group in Miami, says not to go to extremes when teaching children healthy eating habits. She recommends an 80-20 relationship with food. In other words, if you eat healthy about 80 percent of the time, it’s O.K. to splurge on something like dessert 20 percent of the time. The reality is that kids will come into contact with treats at parties and school. Allow them to try these, but make sure they know the foods that their body needs to stay healthy. Forcing kids to clean their plates or taking a plate away from a child that seems to be overeating does not let kids discover their limits, says Hamilton. She tells children that a gentle hugging feeling means they should be satisfied, a feeling of two fingers pressing hard on the belly means they have eaten too much, and binge eating feels like a punch in the stomach.
Nutritionists say it is a good idea to involve your kids as you prepare food in the kitchen. Letting them crack eggs and stir things helps them to feel like they are a part of the preparation, which can make them want to sample the end result. They also recommend that you expand your child’s palate by introducing a new food with an old favorite, such as a new dip with their sliced apples. But the most important thing you can do to influence your child’s eating habits is to eat the way you want your child to eat. You can do this by choosing a wide assortment of healthy foods from all the food groups, eat in moderation and of course, exercise regularly.
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