Kids Eating Habits

A Good Diet Healthy Lifestyle

So parents, is it time to reassess the kids eating habits and come up with a plan? A plan perhaps to either help them reduce their weight or start them on the road to a diet healthy lifestyle.

They say it takes up to 21 days to successfully break any bad habit and start a good habit in its place - so let's get going...

Step 1 the kitchern:

• evaluate the fridge, pantry, and cupboards and decide:
  • what needs to stay and what needs to go

Step 2 the shopping list:

• make a list of healthy selections and stick to it
  • making the list is the easy part...sticking to it might be a bit more difficult but remember you will benefit greatly if you do!

Step 3 the baby steps:

• one step at a time
• don't try to fix everything all at once
• just change and replace one habit at a time

Here are some ideas to help out the family:

1. Identify problem behaviors
   • is there a certain time of day overindulging seems to happen - think about what's going on during that time.


2. Change the environment
   • sit at the table instead of in the living room
   • make the table
   • change the lighting

   * mood and the meal have a direct effect on each other

3. Don't make excuses for the behavior or habit
   • strive to change it and make a plan to do so


4. Reward good choices with stickers and praise - not with food though...



5. Set a goal and talk about what it will take to reach the goal
   • for example, no junk food for a week

   * by the end of the week it will seem like such an easy thing to do won't be a habit anymore!

6. Keep a daily food journal
   • together with your child marking what they ate, when they ate it, did they like it, how did they feel before and after they ate it. Encourage them to participate in this activity with you.

You may ask yourself why it's so important to know your kids eating habits...well, we don't want their unhealthy eating habits to turn into eating disorders. Find out about childrens eating disorders.

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