If your child has a serious sweet tooth, you can be left worrying that they’re not getting the proper nutrition they need. Woodburn Pediatrics believes that healthy eating habits for kids is possible with a proactive, simple lifestyle tweaks. You can get started towards a healthier path today with some of these simple tips.
Rethink Your Grocery Shopping List
Limiting your child’s sugar intake starts with your weekly grocery-shopping trip. If you don’t stock your refrigerator or pantry with sweet foods, your child won’t have regular access to them. Instead of stocking up on candy, processed baked goods, and other sugary snacks, pick just one item per shopping trip. This will not only help to reduce how much sugar your child consumes, but will also encourage the idea that sweets are an occasional treat and not a daily indulgence.
Read the Nutrition Label
Sugar is added to many different types of foods (ketchup, for example, has an average of 3.7g of sugar per 1 tbsp. serving), which is why it is critical to read nutrition labels beforehand. Proper nutrition for kids can be difficult to keep track of, but you can get your child involved by having him or her help you read labels. This will not only boost their interest in healthy diet plans, but also encourages them to maintain lifelong habits.
Make Healthy Food Fun
While introducing nutritious alternatives to your children, you may have a tough time maintaining their interest. Healthy eating activities for kids are an excellent solution. Make food fun by incorporating games, interesting facts and creative shapes into your meal preparation. Get your child involved by having him or her use cookie cutters to make shapes out of fruit or recommend ideas that they might find enjoyable.
We can help you create more strategies to reduce your child’s sweet tooth or help to create healthy diet plans for kids. Feel free to contact us today or stop by in-person. Visit our blog for more children’s health updates.