Children learn both the good and bad habits at an early age.  Demonstrating healthy eating habits early in a child’s life will equip them with some healthy life skills he/she can carry with them. Teaching Healthy Eating Habits for your child is very important.

Healthy eating habits are more than having a healthy diet or selecting a healthy food. Not only what a child eats, but also how much quantity of food he/she eats, can affect their eating habits which are formed in childhood. Healthy diets also include portion control.

Following are some important tips parents can use while monitoring how much their child is eating.
  • If your child is full, let them stop eating. Don’t force them to clean their plate.
  • Make sure your child takes time to eat their meals.
  • Young children should eat servings that are about 2/3 the size of an adult’s.
Food Guide for Young Children, children aged 2-6 should have diets which include the following:
  • 2 servings of fruits
  • 6 servings of grains
  • 3 servings of vegetables
  • 2 servings of meats
  • 2 servings of milk
  • Limited amounts of sweets and fats

Finally, make daily food or eating preparation fun, learning experiences. Have your child help you for buying groceries. In the produce section of the grocery store, have your child look for fruit and vegetables, a rainbow or finding something in each of the colors of the rainbow. Try a new fruits, vegetables, or some new dishes each month. When appropriate, allow your child to assist you in making meals. Talk about those ingredients you’re putting in the recipe.

Healthy recipes to have in breakfast, lunch and dinner:

You can give your child some healthy food. Some of the foods that you can choose from are as follows:

In Breakfast

1. Oats Idli

Oats idli have low calories which makes it an ideal dish for breakfast for children. Oats are rich in fiber, proteins, and vitamins which makes them nutritious and delicious.

2. Bread Upma

Most of the children don’t prefer to have bread for breakfast but if you change the bread in delicious Upma then your children will surely lick their fingers. 

3. Vegetable Masala Dosa

Dosas are delicious and rich nutrient food that every child loves to have. You can give dosa with chutneys or sauce. By this, you can easily add the required amount of veggies to the diet.

In Lunch

1. Stuffed Paratha

Stuffed paratha is a very popular Indian veg food recipe that everyone loves on their lunch plate. You can easily enroll healthy veggies in the parathas like potatoes, spinach, onion, leafy vegetables, and carrots. You can also fill paneer to add protein to the diet.

2. Kathi Rolls

Kathi rolls are another delicious recipe for fulfilling the need for healthy veggies and protein and carbohydrates in the diet. You can fill the roll with paneer, chicken, veggies and serve it with mayonnaise and sauce.

3. Dal And Chawal

To add protein to the diet you can give your child a plate full of boiled rice and dal fry with salad.

4. Chicken Biryani

Your child will love to have chicken biryani for lunch. You can serve biryani with vegetable raita or plain curd and with salad. 

5. Fruit and Vegetables

You can give your child some fresh Fruit and vegetables to fulfill the need of vitamins, fiber, and water. Fruits and veggies will protect your child from disease. 

In Dinner

1. Shahi Paneer 

You can give your child paneer for dinner with plain roti, curd, and salad. 

2. Tofu

You can give Tofu for dinner as it is rich in protein and iron and will help your child in his growth and muscle development.

3. Mexican Rice

You can have Mexican rice for dinner as this recipe is rich in vitamins, protein, and carbohydrates. You can serve this with plain curd, pickle, and salad.

If you start teaching healthy eating habits to your child now, they may be likely to practice them on their own as well. Also, know the benefits of eating 3 dates a day

Check out the best diet plan for breastfeeding mothers.

For more information, you may leave your comment in a comment box below:

Click here

Teaching Healthy Eating Habits

5/5 - (1 vote)

About Akansha Bansal

Post graduate in Masters of Business Administration from Panjab University, Chandigarh. She live with a notion “SIMPLE LIVING, HIGH THINKING” and have an optimistic approach towards life. Always eager to learn new things... She loves to write blogs on parenting. She is the Co-founder of "Budding Star".

Visit My Website
View All Posts