12 steps to kids Healthy Eating Habits

Develop early age Healthy Eating Habits

Habit is the hardest thing to break. Most of our habits are formed during childhood. As parents, it's crucial to ensure our kids develop healthy eating habits. These good habits, once formed, can last a lifetime and significantly impact their overall health.

C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital, USA, conducted a survey and found that 97% of U.S. parents believe childhood healthy eating habits are important for lifetime health.

However, the study also found that many parents struggle to promote these habits effectively. In India, we see similar trends, where eating habits of India also reflect a growing concern for child health.

As a mother, this was a major concern for me. My son Garv is a big foodie and, like many other kids, loves junk food and sugary food. Like other mothers, I didn't know how to discourage him from eating such unhealthy food. Everyone is aware of the issues related to unhealthy eating habits, such as higher weight and related health problems.

I thought about becoming a strict parent and restricting junk food and sugary food at home. But how long and how much could I enforce this? By being strict, would I help my child understand the reason for saying “No” to junk food? Or would it only increase his craving for it? I needed a better way to handle this situation.

I needed to find a better way to deal with it

Are you concerned about your child's health? Are you struggling to build healthy eating habits in your child? Then read this till the end. I will reveal my 12-step process for achieving this. This step-by-step process worked in the background, subtly changing eating habits without anyone realizing it. I stopped saying “No” and learned how to tweak our lifestyle to promote healthy eating habits.

Human beings are natural copycats. Kids usually pick up habits at home from their parents. I realized I needed to make lifestyle changes myself to help my child build good eating habits. It was time to think and plan.

I observed my son for two days and made notes of everything he ate or asked to eat. These observations were eye-opening. Let me share a few with you.

|Read this interesting recipe: How to make quick and easy Honey Glazed Almonds

Observations

• Drank a good amount of water (always keeps a water bottle with him).
• He would crave for something sweet after every meal.
• Picked one or two candies every now and then from the box of candies.
• He would try to avoid Chapati’s and vegetables, but very much happy to eat baked items or sandwiches.
• He would love to eat fruits at any time of the day.

The list is long, but I would limit to these few findings which were important for me.

The list was long, but these were key findings. After gathering my data points, I decided to make lifestyle changes. Changes within the family that would encourage my child to gradually adopt healthier habits. This approach would take time but result in lasting outcomes. Moreover, I wouldn't need to constantly say “No” to unhealthy food options.

Step by Step plan for healthy eating habits

I decided to take mini-steps to ensure that my plan does not become evident to my child and to my husband. I was to make his eating habits also correct.

Step 1: Scheduled Meal Timings

The first step was to set meal timings and stick to them. Breakfast, lunch, snacks, and dinner had specific times. Everyone had to eat at the scheduled times, no exceptions. 

Initially challenging, within 10 days, everyone adjusted to the routine. Our bodies adapted, and we began eating at the scheduled times.

I was happy and encouraged to see my first mini-plan become successful.

Step 2: Eating Together made Compulsory

Next, I targeted television time. I encouraged everyone to eat at the dining table instead of in the bedroom, where the TV is. The results were fantastic. We ate meals on time, knew what and how much we were eating, and enjoyed family time without distractions.

My child added to my plan by ensuring that his father is not on the phone/laptop while eating. In the quest of “tit for tat”, he was able to help me. Because he was not allowed to bring his Tab on the dining table, he restricted his father's cellphone usage. Win-Win situation for me.

Step 3: Provide Healthier Choices

Now that everyone was eating on time and without distractions, it was time to check what we were eating. My family often asked what was for the next meal and usually demanded something unhealthy. 

I discovered they were happier when given a choice. So, I started offering two healthy options, allowing them to choose.

I made a small change in the way I would tell them about food. Next time when they asked what is there to eat, I gave them two options. Both options were from the list of healthy eating.

But now that they had the choice, they picked one for them. For me, it did not matter what they pick. What mattered was that they felt happy and yet picked something healthy to eat. I didn’t know that it will be so easy for me to make them a healthy selection.

Step 4: Tweak Junk Food to Healthy Food

Once I made an alteration to the meals, it was time to take care of junk food eating. Let me give you some examples. My kid loves to eat burgers. I need not convince anyone how bad they are, but at the same time, you cannot stop the craving.

I started making whole wheat burger buns at home. Instead of saying no to the burger, I replaced the all-purpose bun with a homemade whole wheat healthy bun. The patties that I used were a vegetable patty that was shallow-fried instead of deep-fried.

Similarly, instead of saying no to pizzas, I started baking whole wheat base and lentil base pizzas at home. Instead of saying no to sandwiches, I said let me make one for you. I started baking semolina bread, multigrain bread, and whole wheat bread. Sandwiches from these bread are delicious yet healthy. My husband loves Vada Pav, so I started baking stuffed Pavs for him.

They were happy that I stopped saying “No” to what they wanted to eat. I was happy that I changed the unhealthy food to healthy food. Baking at home has its own benefits and I have expressed them in my article “Why one should start baking at home”. When the ingredients are in your control, you are better equipped to develop healthy eating habits.

Step 5: Included more Leafy and Colorful Options

Step 4 is an extension of Step 3. I made it a point that I would give them options to choose from. But at the same time, I had to be careful about the options that I presented in front of them.

I included a lot of leafy options and also was mindful of adding a lot of colorful options. In my experience, whenever the food is more colorful, then my husband and my child will eat it without fuss.

Now I had a lot more control over what was going on in their tummies, but a lot was still out of control. I had to make more plans and drop other unhealthy eating habits as well.

Step 6: Replaced Regular Snacks with Healthy Snacks

My next goal was to change unhealthy snacking into healthy snacking. I had to put some extra effort here. I started keeping fresh baked healthy muffins e.g. banana muffins and carrot date muffins. These are whole wheat muffins and the sweetness is mostly because of the fruits in them.

I again used my rule of giving them choices in snacking. On the other side, I started removing chips, wafers, and sweets from the kitchen. No more aerated drinks and packaged juices in the refrigerator.

The transition was slow that did not let their mind realize the shift that I was making in their snacking. Finally, the unhealthy snacks were taken over by completely healthy snacks contributing to healthy eating habits.

Step 7: Replaced Chocolates to Fruits

My son used to keep his candies at different places in the home. He also had a box of candies that he will keep on the refrigerator and often will pick some candies from it. I started to replace these boxes with fruit bags.

I kept a big fruit basket on the dining table and made the fruits reachable and available to my child all the time. In the absence of chocolate, he started picking figs, plums, and bananas.

It took me 4 months to achieve this and by and large, I was happy with the progress. But I had a few more things in my mind.

Step 8: Replaced Sugar with Glucose

Now that most of the eating was inline I decided to make another small change. I reduced the amount of sugar we used in milk, shakes, and juices.

The amount of cut down in each attempt was important and I was careful to reduce only 10% of the sugar in 2 weeks. I knew within 2 months the amount of sugar going in the milk and other drinks will reduce to half.

My research further leads me to understand that glucose is better to eat than sugar. I stopped adding sugar to the drinks and switched to glucose.

Step 9: No more Eating on the Run

My son often ate in a hurry to join friends. I had to be strict here, encouraging him to sit, relax, and chew his food properly. Proper chewing is essential for developing healthy eating habits.

Step 10: Involved my child in Grocery buying

Now I had better control over what my child is eating. But I was not able to articulate what makes junk food and sugary food unhealthy. No matter how much I explain, children are not really interested in listening.

I recalled the push and pull marketing concepts. Consequently, I decided not to push information on my child, rather help him pull the information for himself. I involved him during my grocery shopping. I would ask him to look at the price, manufacturing date, expiry date, and ingredients. Yes, he would not understand most of the ingredients, but the goal was to make him read.

I would further encourage him to find out what that ingredient is and its benefits and impacts. Trust me, the more he read, the more informative he was. He now knows why I call a few things unhealthy.

Step 11: Involved my child in cooking

Think about why you are more conscious about what to eat and what not to. Maybe you are the one who mostly cooks instead of your spouse. By and large, everyone wants to excel in whatever they do. A painter wants to make a better painting. A carpenter wants to make a better chair. So is a cook wants to make a healthier meal?

Using this logic, I started adding my child to my cooking and baking activities. While cooking we will talk about the ingredients and their benefits. I would encourage him to talk about his ideas of what he would want to make and why. The grocery buying activities helped him take a conscious decision of the ingredients he wants to use. The more he was involved in cooking and baking with me, the more he started thinking about developing healthy eating habits.

Step 12: Drink More Water

This was actually not for my child, this step was for me. I drink less water and suffer from swelling and pain issues. Doctors have advised me to increase the intake of water. I know the benefits of drinking about 2-3 liters of water, but I always ignored it. Now that I was able to put a good control on my family diet, it was time for me to regulate myself.

My child anyways drinks a lot of water, which he has learned from his father. If a child builds a habit of drinking enough water, he will never have digestion issues.

Finally

The best thing we can give back to society is a healthy child. This was the 12 step Mantra that helped me develop healthy eating habits not only with my child but the entire family. Eating healthy is the step forward to stop/avoid health issues like obesity, heart diseases, obesity, high blood pressure, diabetics, and cancer.

In India, 22% of Indian kids are obese and 1 out of 3 kids are found to be obese in the USA. This is scary. I have made changes in the lifestyle and I am certain that my child's health will improve from here on. I have already started seeing the changes. The most important change is in the thinking pattern of my child. He now talks if he is eating healthy or not. I see him saying “No” to junk food when we are out.

Remember, health is wealth, and nurturing good habits from an early age can lead to a healthier life.

Have you tried other methods that worked? Share your ideas in the comments. Your suggestions could help many mothers.

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