There are inculcating good food habits when children are young have several long term benefits says Madhuri Ruia, Nutritionist and Pilates Expert. The best way to instill nutritious eating habits in children is to include smart foods in their meal, offering clean and healthy snacks when the child is hungry positioning nutritious foods such as almonds, dairy products, and green leafy vegetables whenever the child asks for food.
Almonds make for a great snacks for kids – they are crunch, tasty and sweet, making them hard to reject. Plus, they offer a host of nutrients like vitamin E, magnesium, protein, riboflavin, etc. which are important for the body’s growth and development. Kids don’t like green veggies – this is a universal fact. I myself didn’t like them when I was a child, but my mother made sure I had them nevertheless. For parents – getting your child to consume green veggies and happily so requires some level of creativity and innovation – but once your child is habituated, trust me you have won the battle. It’s not too difficult to get your kid to develop a taste for dairy. Dairy foods like milk, cheese, yogurt, buttermilk are rich in calcium, potassium, phosphorous and other nutrients that help prevent dehydration, tooth decay, and diseases from an early age. Inculcating these habits from an early age will help them build a stronger resistance from the seasonal flu/diseases.
