Exercise is only half of the equation when it comes to raising healthy kids. It’s much easier for some parents to get their kids to run a 5K than it is to eat a balanced meal. Our bodies naturally crave sugar, salt, and fat. Newborn babies often have to be given sweet sugar water to initiate the sucking response that leads to nursing. As kids mature, they’re bombarded with advertisements for junk food and tempted by their classmates’ Cheetos and Oreos. So how do we encourage healthy eating habits when both biological and environmental factors get in our way? Here are a few tips:

Sound the Alarm
This is a technique I’ve used with my students for years. During after-school snack time, I sit and talk with them about their day. When I notice one of them is eating a healthy snack, I blurt out, “Ding Ding Ding! Healthy snack alert! Healthy snack alert!” while pointing to the nutritious choice. Like clockwork, the next day’s snack time is filled with kids proudly unveiling their healthy snacks. Some kids can’t wait to show me. Others quietly unwrap their snack with a sly look on their face, knowing they’re about to be praised.

Try this at home with your young children when they independently choose a healthy snack. Use my “Ding Ding Ding!” routine or come up with one of your own. The more fanfare the better!

Read the rest of the article by Kristen DeLeo at HealthNews Blogs

This entry was posted on Monday, July 28th, 2008 at 9:16 pm and is filed under advice, diet, food. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.