Alternatives to Junk Food For Kids
Beginning early in a child's development, it is vitally important for parents and caregivers to educate children on healthy eating habits. The foods that your children eat early in life will help set a precedent for their eating habits throughout their life. Although many young children are picky eaters, there are many healthy and nutritious foods that your children will find irresistible.
Diets rich in fruits and vegetables can be valuable to a child's growing body. Children will love the sweet taste of fruits such as berries and apples cut into small pieces. It is important to enforce moderation when eating fruits as they can be high in sugar. The high volume of vitamins in fruits can be helpful in aiding children's budding immune systems. They are especially helpful to children in school and daycares as these environments are breeding grounds for illnesses. Many vegetables, however, can be eaten endlessly as they often have few calories and low sugar content. Celery, carrots and cucumbers are all delicious alternatives to chips or other fatty snacks. If your kids are picky eaters, pair the celery with low fat peanut butter or carrots with fat free dressing for an extra flavor kick.
For speedy and healthy dinners, use whole grain pastas, breads and rice as an alternate to whites. The additional fiber and lower calories are healthy for children of all ages. Instead of store bought macaroni and cheese, make your own using whole grain pasta, fat free cheese and low fat milk. Prepackaged varieties can be high in fat, but quick and easy homemade meals can be full of nutrients and calcium that the packaged meals lack. Instead of serving canned soups, which can be loaded with extra sodium and preservatives, make your own soups with fresh veggies and low sodium broth.
All children love desserts, but it can sometimes be challenging to serve healthy, tasty desserts. An easy way to start is by substituting fat free pudding for ice cream and making your own cookies with healthy elements such as raisins, cranberries and oatmeal. When baking, use applesauce as a healthy alternative to oils. When you do allow your kids to indulge in high fat desserts, always emphasize the importance of eating those fatty foods in moderation.
Leading your children to make healthy choices from early on can influence their nutrition decisions forever. Supplementing certain foods that are more nutritious and making small changes in diets can be essential in a child's healthy development and proper growth.
Related Tags: health, body, food, children, kids, rice, pasta, sugar, desserts, sweet, grain, junk, dinners
Jerry Passi is with HealthFoodCompanies.com - a directory of health food companies.
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