Children need proper nutrients to help them grow and develop, and they will receive all of those nutrients from the foods that they eat. However, it can be extremely difficult to ensure that your child is getting all of the right vitamins and minerals if they aren’t following a healthy diet. Unfortunately, most little ones are picky eaters, so it can be hard to get them to choose broccoli and green beans over french fries and pizza. That’s why, in part one of this blog series, we will provide you with a few helpful tips on how to help your child eat healthily.
When your child goes off to daycare or preschool, you may be worried about whether or not they are being fed junk food. After all, you have no control over what your child eats when they are not in your care. That being said, when you enroll your child in preschool or daycare with Valley Child Care and Learning Centers in Phoenix, you can rest assured knowing that nutrition is one of our top priorities. We offer a variety of early childhood education classes, and we pride ourselves on offering healthy food options in each of our programs. Interested in learning more about our nutrition policies or early learning programs? Contact Valley Child Care and Learning Centers to find out more!
Keep Healthy Food on Hand
It’s extremely difficult to encourage your child to eat healthy food when you don’t have any available. For this reason, you should always be sure that you have healthy food options on hand. If you’re planning to take your child to the park or to the grocery store, make sure you pack a healthy snack like carrot sticks or grapes that they can enjoy on the go. You should always be sure to have fruits and veggies in your fridge for easy snacking at home, as well as a healthy side option during meal time.
Don’t Place Restrictions
We’ve all been in situations where we are told not to do something and it just makes us want to do it more. The same goes for food. If you tell your kiddo that they are not allowed to eat something or that they can only eat a certain food during certain hours, not only will they want that food more, but it can also lead to unhealthy eating habits. Instead of completely cutting out a certain food, try to replace it with a healthier alternative, such as frozen grapes instead of a grape-flavored popsicle.
Allow Treats
In addition to not placing restrictions on certain eating habits, you also don’t want to give the impression that you are forbidding unhealthy foods. It’s okay to have something like an ice cream cone or fast food every once in a while — the real problem is when “once in a while” turns into “all the time.” Set rules about when your children can eat certain unhealthy foods. For example, they can have soda only when they are at a family party or on vacation. Setting these guidelines doesn’t completely eliminate the bad foods, it helps your little ones see it as a special treat.
At Valley Child Care and Learning Centers, we are committed to promoting healthy growth and development by providing healthy food options for your children. If you would like to learn more about our early childhood education classes or our nutrition and safety policies, browse our website or contact one of our 10 locations in Phoenix today!
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