The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) promotes a healthy lifestyle of eating five portions of fruits & veggies each day.5 A day is a slogan that sounds great, but how can we actually integrate this into a child’s life?
Imagine a day in a child’s life – from their waking moment to the time they close their eyes to sleep. Besides the CDC’s 5 A Day program, I don’t know anyone else speaking about healthy eating for children. I don’t hear any radio commercials about a healthy diet for children or fruits and vegetables as part of their daily nutrition. 5 A Day is a CDC slogan that in reality is very impractical to incorporate into our lives.
From the start, pregnant moms often forget to eat a healthy diet in favor of what’s most “convenient”. But getting your children started eating right begins in the womb. If babies experience healthy foods in utero and at the breast, they’ll be more likely to want them later in their lives too. And not only that, children who are fed right from the beginning will be healthier and stronger throughout their lives.
We all know how important fruits and vegetables are, especially for the children we’re raising, but it can be so hard to make them a priority. Children follow their parents’ example. Starting putting your health, and that of your children, before what’s “easy” and your kids will soon too.
Keep your children away from all the junk food ads that can hit them on television or the computer. Instead, encourage them to have fun staying active and give them healthy snack options.
Children learn from their parents and their environment. If you incorporate more healthy eating habits into your life, then it is going to be easy for a child to follow suit and develop those same eating habits. We are bombarded with junk food advertisements everywhere. Itseems that after we have children, we simply forget or alter our eating habits to match our lives with children.
For example, fast food and eating on the go are more convenient. We ignore the fact that they cause damage to our own bodies and to the welfare of our children. Instead of us instilling good eating habits in our children, we take shortcuts, dropping by for a sausage and egg biscuit on the way to work or picking up pizza for dinner. I understand that most of us are always on the go and it is difficult to cook meals regularly. But there are tons and tons of activities we choose over spending time in the kitchen.
When a healthy diet becomes a conscious part of your family’s lifestyle, 5 A Day will come much more naturally. An active and long life will come much more naturally for you and your children too.
Healthy eating is not a fad. It is not to be a once in a while treat. 5 A Day and eating healthy must become a habitual part of our lifestyle. Ultimately, our health and our quality of life depend on it. When we choose healthy eating and healthy living, we extend our quality of life and extend our ability to live a normal life. All of this starts with a simple change in our eating habits.
So don’t delay! Start implementing a healthy diet for your family today, and soon you’ll be including five servings of fruits and vegetable on a regular basis. 5 A Day can mean a healthier family for you.
Tony Khatemi is a Vegetarian with over 25 years in the field of exercise, nutrition and healthy living focused on digestive health. Living by example is his motto. Pickup a free reports on fruits and vegetable capsules . for the most natural and effective supplements in the world. Please type IBD, IBS, Crohn’s or any GIIBD, IBS, Crohn’s or any GI related disease in the search box for results.
