by Emily Tuuk

Created on: October 06, 2008   Last Updated: October 14, 2008

Healthy eating habits start in early childhood - this is common knowledge. Unfortunately, however, not every child gets off on the right start. So what can we do to get our children to eat better, when they are only used to eating unhealthy foods? Here are the most fundamental concepts on how we can raise our children to be healthy eaters if they did not get the best start that could have been:

- Provide them with familiar, yet healthful, foods.

When trying to get your children to eat healthy foods, it is important to make sure that they are not faced with a meal of strange, unidentifiable meals that they will more than likely shove away, in order to find something familiar to eat. If food looks strange, a child will often automatically think it won't taste good, regardless of how good it really is. Just think about when you are in a foreign country - the locals may eat foods that you would not dream of eating, but this is simply because you were raised on totally different foods.

Try simple substitutes like whole wheat bread in place of white bread, or eating apple slices, carrots sticks, grapes, or some other familiar fruit or veggie with lunch instead of potato chips, or even homemade cookies or cakes made with whole wheat flour, and possibly even a sugar substitute like honey for sweetener - delicious, and yet much more healthy!

Giving them healthy, and yet somewhat familiar foods to eat will prevent them from becoming overwhelmed with a new lifestyle that they may not wish to have.

- Teach them about health and healthy foods.

Explaining in a simple, easy to understand manner that is on the level of the child's understanding why we should eat healthy foods, and why certain foods are bad for you, can make a difference in how willing our children will be to eat better. It is also important that our children are made aware of the benefits (or consequences) of what they eat, and how foods affect their bodies. Of course, we should not expect our children to become instant experts on the subject, but even small things that we learn as a child can be remembered throughout our whole lives, and they will affect the way we think, and therefore the way we live.

- Incorporate healthy eating in the whole family.

If the whole family is eating healthy together, this provides a good example as well as good support for your children. A child that is used to processed, frozen dinners every night and sugary cereals for breakfast every morning will learn to view these foods as "normal", and they will be most comfortable eating them, because they see them as "regular" foods. However, if homemade oatmeal, apple slices, salads, and whole grains are what they always eat at home, these foods will then become normal to them, and they will be more likely to accept them in the future.

We learn very much by example and experience. By giving your kids a good example, and providing them with the positive experience of eating healthy (but not strange) foods, you are helping them to become healthy eaters that will be able to make healthy choices on their own.

Just because you child has not eaten healthy from the beginning, this does not mean that there is no chance for a change. With a touch of effort and patience on your part, it is possible to turn your children from eating unhealthy foods to developing healthy eating habits that will benefit them for the rest of their lives.

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