Sep
15
Today, the New York Times lists the six food mistakes parents make. My favourite three:
Sending children out of the kitchen — Children who helped cook their own food were more likely to eat healthy food, like whole grains and vegetables, in the cafeteria later, according to a Columbia University study of nearly 600 children from kindergarten to grade six. Says the study’s co-author: “Kids don’t usually like radishes, but we found that if kids cut up radishes and put them in the salad, they love radishes.Keeping the “good stuff” out of reach — Research shows that if a parent restricts a food, children just want it more. Instead, suggests the writer: “Buy healthful snacks and give children free access to food cabinets.”
Dieting in front of your children — This can warp children’s perceptions about food and healthy eating. In one study of five-year-old girls, one child thought that dieting involved drinking chocolate milk; her mother was using Slim-Fast drinks. Another child said that dieting meant, “you fix food, but you don’t eat it.”
For the other three mistakes, read the rest of the Times article here.
And for more on children and healthy eating:
- 10 ways to raise food-smart kids, Webmd.com
- The Great Pretenders: So-called healthy foods, Todaysparent.com
- The Food Jag Survival Guide, Todaysparent.com
- How do you get your kids to eat their veggies? Health.com
- Healthy habits our kids love, Prevention.com
