How to form healthy eating habits in a child

Food today performs not only its direct function — satiation of the body. We are used to eating out of stress, using food as an excuse and an integral attribute of friendly and business meetings. As a result, we not only harm ourselves, but also distort the eating behavior of our children, because it is from the closest adults that they take an example. Understanding the topic of how to raise healthy eating habits in a child helps children's gastroenterologist of Into-Sana medical centers Svetlana Ruzhevich.

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From early childhood, parents, together with a pediatrician, should instill in the child the basics of healthy eating as an integral attribute of a healthy lifestyle. Eating habits begin to be established from a very early age, so parents should remember the basic principles of healthy eating and start applying them. as soon as a child begins to eat at a common table with adults.

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1. Regularity. It is necessary to explain to the child that food is mandatory meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner, and a prolonged feeling of hunger is not healthy.
2. Разнообразие. The task of parents is to make sure that the child likes different products and dishes. To do this, it is necessary not to limit the baby to two or three familiar, basic tastes, but to constantly offer new products and their combinations.
3. Adequacy, that is, the amount of food corresponds to the energy consumption of the child.
4. Security. Here we are talking about basic hygiene rules, such as washing hands before eating, and avoiding "unreliable" food places, and observing cooking technology, and being careful with foods unfamiliar to the child (especially if the child is prone to allergic reactions).
5. Aesthetic pleasure. Meals should take place in a calm atmosphere, at a set table, and necessarily in a good mood.

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What should parents do to help their child form healthy eating habits?

• Do not make decisions for the child when exactly he needs a meal. If nutrition is not coordinated with the biological rhythms and needs of the child, it will be very difficult for him to learn to distinguish real hunger from a simple desire to "have a snack".
• Don't use food as a reward for good behavior. The consequences of such "love through sweets" are disappointing - eating desserts leads to fatigue and stress in adulthood.
• Draw the child's attention to what is useful and what will harm health. And most importantly, confirm it with a personal example. Do not eat what you forbid your child - there should be no double standards in the family.

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• Involve the child in the process of cooking. This will increase his interest in household matters and will instill respect for food, because it is also a part of his work.
• Teach the child to describe a dish by its smell, taste, and appearance. And vice versa, offer to guess by the smell from the kitchen what will be for dinner today. Such exercises will help to form a conscious attitude to food in the form of a game.
• Teach your child that food is beautiful. Use beautiful, comfortable dishes, modern tableware, decorate dishes. Give your child an example of how to use a napkin, not to make unpleasant sounds at the table, not to talk with your mouth full, and always thank you for the food after eating.

Remember that developing a healthy eating behavior can take years, so don't expect quick results. Patience, your own positive example and perseverance will definitely help to ensure a healthy future for your child!

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