How This Father Feeds His Kid Well (You’ll Be Amazed)

Getting your child to eat healthy foods is a task many parents struggle with on a daily basis. Your child’s health depends on a balanced diet — and ensuring your child obtains all the vital nutrients healthy foods provide is becoming increasingly difficult.  Advertisements that show fun, sugary foods can overwhelm our children’s minds, making them crave the very junk food we as parents try to steer them away from each and every day.

How do we get our children to eat better? What can we do that will instill appropriate eating habits in our children that will help pave the way to a healthy life? As a father of a young son, I’m here to share that the question is not as hard to answer as one would think.

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First, the road to success is typically found in the mirror. Look within yourself and ask yourself if you could stand to lose a few pounds and begin a healthy eating regiment. Changing yourself changes your children — you are their role model, provider, and confidante.

My son is almost five years old, and as a hands-on dad, I make a point to notice and enjoy the healthy foods I eat. This gets my son excited about the food because “Dad likes it, and I like Dad — so I must like the food he eats, too.” Also, I make a point to exercise in front of my son. I lift weights, do push-ups with him on my back, and make the process really fun for him. When I do this, he starts mimicking me and we exercise together.

Second, make sure not to go overboard. There is a disease called “orthorexia” which is an eating disorder in which people have an obsession with eating healthy. They spend hours upon hours in grocery stores reading ingredients on labels and allow their obsession with healthy eating to overwhelm their entire lives, which effects their personal relationships and their relationships with their children. This is not a healthy practice, and it is important to have a proper balance as to not create any preventable issues within yourself or within your child.

Exercise has been proven to curb appetite.

Third, the simplest way to accomplish a healthy eating routine with your child is to engage yourself in the process. As a parent, I know it’s very easy to grab a bag of chips from the store for a snack, or to stop at the drive-thru of a burger joint for a quick meal.  However, this is where we get into trouble. Anything worth doing takes hard work and discipline. Commit yourself to eating out only once per month, and pack healthy lunches for both you and your child to enjoy during work and school.

It can also be beneficial for you to speak with other parents who struggle with the same thing (there are plenty of us). Input from others in similar circumstances always helps because you are able to see where you may be going wrong and implement strategies that can help you accomplish your goal of a healthy diet for your child.

Fourth and last, swap out the junk food. The most important way to get your child to eat healthier is to take the junk food out of your house and replace it with healthy, wholesome food. Apples, blueberries, raspberries, avocado, nuts such as pistachios and cashews, rice cakes and other simple, healthy food should be constantly stocked in your home. Children like fruit and starchy items — so keeping these around rather than cupcakes, potato chips, and other yukky snacks can help you and your children develop that routine of healthy eating.

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Also, exercise has been proven to curb appetite. Get outside and take a walk with your child every evening. Not only will this help your child physically, but it can also be a great aide in developing that strong, nurturing parent-child relationship, which every child needs.

Say no to the cake and choose a banana instead! It’s pretty simple, really.

The author lives in Wisconsin with his son.