It’s really important for children to cultivate healthy habits while they are young. If you give feed a child lots of potato chips and candies, you’re setting them up for failure. Help them create a solid foundation with healthy principles they can practice for the rest of their lives. There are a few small ways you can begin this tradition of improving your child’s health.
1. Add more fruits and vegetables to each meal.
If you start giving them fruits and vegetables early, they’ll learn to love them and will prefer the healthy foods over junk food. A great breakfast idea includes avocado toast with a fried egg and tomato slices on top. Add a delicious green smoothie to the side. Keep the smoothie simple by adding kale, water, a few slices of mango and half a banana to a blender. It’s loaded with vitamin C and your child will receive both fruits and vegetables at the start of the day. For lunch and dinner, it’s pretty easy to add a variety of vegetables to the mix. Green, leafy vegetables and proteins like chicken and salmon will always work well. A fruit salad is a perfect dessert option.
2. Make time for physical activity.
Childhood obesity is on the rise because so many little ones are leading sedentary lifestyles. Many schools have taken recess and physical education programs out of schools. As their parent, it’s important to make sure they’re active. Take them to the park to play on the jungle gyms. Teach them how to ride a bike or enjoy roller-skates. At home, pop in a workout DVD and work up a sweat together. To get some more energy out of their systems before bed, do a few jumping jacks, planks and a squat exercise.
3. Develop a sleep regimen.
Many people use a nighttime routine to help them prepare for bed each night. Most children have tons of energy. This is why it’s wise to save the exercise sessions for the early afternoon time. Once they’ve eaten dinner and played to get a lot of the energy out of their system, it’s time to take a bath and get ready for bed. Once they tucked away in their pajamas, give them a good bedtime story, turn down the lights and keep their room slightly cool. When the temperature is a little lower, this helps the body relax and go to bed quicker.
