New Year, New Food for the Children in Your Life
Fed up with kids and grandkids who think that a daily diet is a pop tart at breakfast, burgers and fries for lunch, and fried chicken for dinner?
For starters, do everything you can to become a good role model. If they see you frequently heading to the local drive-through for a quick burger, guess where they’ll be headed once they start driving themselves?
Keep in mind that every time you offer your children and grandchildren fast food as a reward, you’re creating second- and third-generation fast-food junkies. If they start seeing you make better, healthier food choices, they will, too.
Here are some more kid-focused tips for a new year full of healthy new food.- Set up new rewards. Instead of a night at the pizzeria, take the family out to see an upbeat movie, concert, or sports event. Instead of trips to the ice cream store, plan a family night with games that everyone likes - from Frisbee to Scrabble.
- Limit television viewing, especially of kids' shows. Almost every commercial is for something they should not eat or do not need. For T.V. shows that they insist on watching, use Tivo or DVR to tape the shows ahead of time. That way, they can speed through all the commercials and all the sugary, fatty, salty temptations.
- Lay down the law that your children eat dinner at home. Kids and teens don't need separate meals at the local burger joint on their way home from sports or other extracurricular activities at school. They do need to be exposed to healthy adult food very early in life - and daily. Repetition fosters acceptance, then enjoyment.
