Ways For Parents To Set Example For Healthy Food Habits

It has been correctly said that parents are the first teachers of the child. The child learns maximum from the parents. Especially at a young age the mother often has maximum influence on the child. It is the duty of the parents to be role model during the early childhood of their kid. Once the kid grows up he gets influenced from a number of other older people. If he has already developed some good habits during childhood, they will continue for the rest of the life.

Healthy eating habits are the first and most important habit which the child should learn from the parents and the parents should be very particular in this regard. Though the children have a great liking for junk food but a habit of eating the right type and balanced food from beginning will help the child maintain good health and keep him away from obesity. Before the child develops the habit of relishing cookies and carbonised drinks, teach him the disadvantages of these food items. The parents should impart knowledge to the child about advantages and disadvantages of good and bad food.

The parents should set an example. They should practice what they preach. Telling the child to refrain from junk food and consuming it themselves is not likely to set an example. The mother should cook vegetables or meat sometimes and the whole family should eat together. If you want your child to learn not to leave uneaten food in his plate, practice it yourself and finish the entire food on the plate before getting up from dining table.

Often parents are seen rewarding the child with junk food for some good deeds. High level of spices, carbohydrates and sugar content present in junk food make it attractive and tasty. Parents should not let the child eat this food as a reward for getting good marks or for displaying good behaviour as bad thing can never be a reward for something good. Similarly as punishment, parents should not snatch such food from the child.

Good table manners include eating total food from your plate. No quantity of food once taken should be left in the plate on any pretext. To enable the child to practice this, the parents should not only eat the total stuff from their plates but should also not force the child to fill the plate. The child should be encourages to serve himself so that he knows that the full quantity he takes has to be finished. After finishing the first serving, if the child feels hungry, he may take next serving.