SHARAN

What can you do to ensure that your kids do not fall into this trap? Read on to find some ideas.

1. Lead them by example

Everyone fondly remembers the meals made by their mothers when they were young. Children enjoy meals made with love. When you make delicious healthy meals, they are bound to relish them. However, if you consume fast food and colas, your children would want them too! Kids do what their parents do. The option to teach your children to eat healthfully is in your hands.

2. Share knowledge in thought-provoking ways

Whenever you read some interesting health news in the newspaper or magazines, share it with them. Watch films on health, perhaps as a family. Show them some short health videos that are freely available on YouTube to reinforce your point.

3. Teach them to read labels

When they choose to buy something, get them to start reading the labels. Google the ingredients they don’t understand. You will be surprised at what goes into packaged foods, sometimes in the name of ‘health’!

4. Take them to farms/farmers’ markets

This is the best way for them to appreciate the food that Mother Nature gives us. When they see how food is actually grown and buy it themselves, they feel much more involved.

5. Cook together

Getting both boys and girls in the kitchen to do some cooking together is such a great way to spend time as a family. Kids begin to value the food they eat when they realise that a lot of effort goes into the meal that is laid on the table. It also ensures that they will be able to make their own meals, when required.

6. Eat out less frequently

In earlier times, eating out was a special treat. Today most of us eat something out every day! Cooking at home might soon become a long-lost skill. So, slowly and steadily reduce the number of times you eat out. And when you do eat out, choose the restaurant carefully and order sensibly.

7. Be smart. Get creative in the kitchen

Invest time in learning tips and tricks to make your meals healthy. Make your own sauces and dressings. You don’t need to announce that there is no oil or sugar or dairy in the dish. If the food is presented well, most of the time they won’t even know the difference!

Make green wraps with spinach and pink wraps with beetroot, and stuff them with the filling that your kids love. Present a fruit platter beautifully decorated and they will want to eat it! Serve salads in glasses. Make an interesting new recipe at least once a week.

8. Take them to visit hospitals

Help them make the connection between food, sickness and hospitals.

9. Have a circle of healthy friends

If all your kid’s friends are eating healthy, they will start eating healthy too. Make the peer pressure a positive one. Get their friends’ mothers together and work out a plan. It’s not a rule to serve junk food at birthday parties!

10. Volunteer to help at your child’s school

School admins are so occupied looking after other things, that most would appreciate your help in getting health awareness going at the school. Organise health talks and workshops by professionals for parents and students.

11. Don’t be a nag

Kids will eat when they are hungry. Allow them the pleasure of listening to their bodies and feeling hunger. And avoid deciding how much they should eat. Let them learn to eat according to their hunger.

12. Keep healthy treats easily available

Prepare homemade healthy treats with organic ingredients. Keep fruits, nuts and seeds handy so that your kids can munch on them when they are hungry. Keep addictive packaged foods out of the house.

13. Get their vitamin D & B12 tested

Despite all the healthy habits that we may teach them, many may have deficiencies in vitamins B12 and D due to the highly sanitised and indoor lifestyles we lead. We have seen even four-year-olds with low levels. So do check these out and supplement if necessary.