Here’s some food for thought: the eating habits that we instill in our children from when their young, will largely stay with them for the rest of their lives. All parents (hopefully) want their kids to eat healthy and most kids actually ENJOY healthy foods (fruits and vegetables).  So what is the problem? The biggest setback is “instant satisfaction.”  We live in a world where people want things immediately and that’s no different for a child who’s hungry. Having healthy food options prepared in advance and being aware of which items your child likes, will make the difference between going for that ‘bag of chips’ or a fresh fruit or vegetable. We’ve put together some helpful tips to help you avoid the common pitfalls. Just remember, this isn’t ‘boot camp’; a child should never feel that making healthy decisions is a punishment and/or sacrifice. Let them enjoy that candy or baked good from time to time. If they don’t feel deprived or restricted from “other” foods they will not view healthy foods as a burden.

• Timing – Be prepared for when your kids are hungry. For example, if you know your child comes home from school at 2:30 and dinner is not served until 6. Have something waiting for them that will tide them over until dinner time.
• Give ‘em what they like – Have your child help you make a list of his/her preferred fruits and vegetables. You could also bring them along to the grocery store and let them choose what interests them the most from the produce section.
• Ready and Waiting – As mentioned above… your children (young or old), don’t want to ‘wait’ when they are hungry. Keep containers of cut up fruits and vegetables in your fridge. You’ll find that they disappear faster than a bag of candy! Another great tip is to wash and dry all your fruits and veggies right when you unpack them from the grocery bag before putting them away in the fridge. That way, they are always ready to eat in an instant.
• Make it Fun– Try using cookie cutters to make fun shapes. This will go over especially well with younger kids.

(Part of the “Healthy Lifestyles” series)