How to Correct Children's Bad Eating Habits

Your child can develop a liking for healthy foods.

For many parents, getting a child to consistently eat healthy foods is a struggle. Ads on TV tout candy, potato chips and burgers, and it is difficult to persuade your child to eat a banana when a bowl of ice cream seems more appealing. Yet correcting your children's bad eating habits is essential, since children who learn to eat, and enjoy, healthy food have less chance of developing health problems when they are older.

Instructions

1. Introduce changes to your children's diet gradually. A complete and sudden overhaul of everything your children are allowed to eat will only create rebellion and anger. Begin by adding more fruit and vegetables. Switch one unhealthy snack a day for a healthy one. Reduce high-fat ingredients when you are cooking a meal. Over a few weeks' time, they will hardly notice their eating habits are becoming healthier, and they'll miss the unhealthy foods less if they disappear gradually.

2. Encourage your children to eat three meals a day and two healthy snacks. Bad eating habits often begin as a result of unregimented meal times and too much snacking. Eat meals at the same time each day. If too many snacks or unhealthy snacks are a problem, introduce 100-calorie snack packs into their diet. While your children might still be eating some unhealthy foods, they will be consuming lower quantities, so the snacks will have less of a negative impact on their health.

3. Buy healthy snacks and make sure your kitchen is always well-stocked with them. Children often snack out of boredom or habit. If a chocolate bar, bag of potato chips or candy is readily available, they will likely eat it. Faced with a cupboard stocked with granola bars and healthy cereal snacks, or a refrigerator full of yogurt, fruit and vegetables, they'll probably pick a healthy food.

4. Create your own tasty treats. Just because a snack usually comes in an unhealthy form doesn't mean you can't make your own healthy version. Try making ice pops from freshly squeezed fruit juice. Mix your own soda from fruit juice and fizzy water so it has less sugar than store-bought sodas and no added chemicals. Add smiley faces made out of berries and fruit to pancakes, toast and cereal. Make the food your children eat look appetizing and fun, while still reducing the fat, sugar and calorie content.

5. Cook more meals at home. Eating out in restaurants too often can cause your child to gain weight and to eat food high in fat. Many restaurants serve larger portions than you would serve at home and, if it's on their plate, they will probably eat it even if they are already full. Save eating in restaurants for special occasions or once-a-week occurrences. You will save money on your monthly food bill, too.

Tips & Warnings

• Be a good role model. If your children see you eating lots of junk food, it is difficult for them to understand why they have to eat healthy food.

• Don't ban all junk food or sugary snacks completely. Having them a couple of times a week is not harmful, and your children will feel less deprived when their only option for a snack is fruit.

References

• Helpguide.org; Nutrition for Children and Teens; Helping Your Kids Develop Healthy Eating Habits; Maya W. Paul and Lawrence Robinson; Feb. 2011
• The New York Times; Times Health Guide; Weight Problems and Children
• North Dakota State University Extension Service; Use Family Meals to Improve Eating Habits; Peggy R. Anderson; Jan. 11, 2010

Resources

• Mayo Clinic; Nutrition for Kids: Guidelines for a Healthy Diet; July 18, 2009