How to get your child to eat HEALTHIER

Question #1

  If you were walking in the park by yourself and nobody was around you and you saw a 20 dollar bill and a 1 dollar bill on the ground, and can only choose one, which one would you pick up?  Obviously you would pick up the 20 dollar bill. 

Question #2

   If I put two plates in front of you and one plate contained a burger with your favorite toppings, fries, and pop and the other plate contained chicken, peas, bread, and water, which one would you choose? (and lets me honest here).  I bet half of you would choose the burger, fries, and pop.

   Every adult will take the 20 dollars and more than half of every adult would take the burger, fries, and pop.  Now think about this, if an adult has a hard time choosing healthy food over junk food, than imagine how hard it is for a child to choose healthy food over junk food.  That's right, it's nearly impossible.  That's like the kid choosing to take the 1 dollar bill instead of the 20 dollar bill, it's not going to happen.  Most kids cannot choose healthy food over junk food that is in front of their face.

   So if you have a bunch of junk food in your house, your child will not eat healthy.  If you take away or decrease the amount of junk food in your house, your child will eat healthier.

   * THE MOST IMPORTANT THING OUT OF ALL OF THIS, IS THAT YOU ARE A ROLE MODEL.  IF YOU DON'T EAT HEALTHY, HOW DO YOU EXPECT YOUR CHILD TO EAT HEALTHY.

The following are tips that I have develop and teach the kids how to eat healthy.  Hopefully you can take this tips and use them at home.

1.  Limit your child to drink pop for only special occasions. (ex:  parties, going out to dinner, weddings)

2.  If your child drinks pop everyday for lunch or dinner, sorry to say but that is terrible. 

3.  Kids who don't drink pop tell me,  "I don't drink pop because my parents don't buy pop".

4.  Bottom line, if you want to decrease your child's pop intake, than don't buy it!

1.  Most kids like fruit over vegetables which makes it easier to eat.

2.  Buy the fruit that your kids like eating the most.

3.  Make a fruit smoothie, they taste very good!

1.  Most kids don't like to eat vegetables by itself, so...

2.  Mix lettuce, tomato, onion, and/or green peppers in with their sandwich.

3.  Mix vegetables in the pasta you make.

4.  Get fat free or low fat ranch dipping sauce.

1.  Buy juice that has at least 100% Vitamin C.

2.  Capri Sun has no Vitamin C, so don't buy it.

1.  Everyone should drink 64 oz. of water each day. (That is a half of a gallon) 

2.  If you exercise, you should drink a gallon of water each day.

3.  Make your kids drink a glass of water at least 1 of their meals each day.

4.  Flavor water and vitamin water are also 2 very good choices to get water in you child's body.

Fast Food Tips:

    I understand that many parents are busy with work, chores, grocery shopping, and driving the kids around and sometimes you don't have time to cook.  Nutritionist say that you should have fast food no more than once or twice a month.  I tell the kids no more than 4 times a month.  If you have to go to a fast food place for dinner try to follow these tips:

1.  Don't order the fries.  They are high in fat.

2.  Get a salad.

3.  Get fat free or low fat salad dressing.  Ask for it, they should have it.

4.  Get grilled chicken instead of fried.

5.  Instead of fries, get the fruit cup, potato, chili, or side salad.

6.  Get water, milk, or juice instead of pop.

Healthy Fast Food Tips:

    Like I said before, I understand you are busy and don't have time to cook dinner.  But some people choose the bad fast food places over Subway or Jimmy John's because they are too lazy to park the car and walk in to order food.  If  you choose not to go to Subway or Jimmy John's because they don't have a drive-thru, than I am sorry, that is a little sad.  Stop being lazy and park the car.

    Now it is true, there are some things at these places that are not healthy.  When you do go to these places, follow these tips:

1.  Don't put mayo or oil on your sandwich.  They are high in fat.

2.  Choose ham, turkey, or roast beef over salami, bologna, and pepperoni.

3.  Get baked lay chips over regular chips.

4.  Choose water instead of pop.

Other things to think about...

    Now I am not going to lie to you, I love meat and so does a lot of other people.  But you have to make sure to eat the high in fat meat in moderation.  Here are some tips on the meats:

1.  Steak, Italian sausage, bratwurst, burgers, and hot dogs are high in fat and should be eaten in moderation.

2.  Chicken, turkey, roast beef, and ham are low in fat and can be eaten all of the time.

3.  Stores now have turkey meat or chicken meat that is low in fat.  Try it sometime and see if you like it.

4.  Costco sells chicken sausage and it tastes exactly like Italian sausage and its cheap.

5.  Mental note, if it has the word "turkey" in it, that means it is probably healthy, so try it.