Why is it hard to get my kid to eat healthfully?
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RealAge answered:There are a thousand important reasons to make sure your child adopts healthy eating habits and keeps a normal weight. However, it can seem like there are just as many factors that sabotage your efforts. First of all, by the time your child is four or five, it’s hard to control everything he eats. What goes on at home may be healthy, but what happens when he goes to a friend’s house? Or eats at his school cafeteria? Or discovers fast-food chains? They sell happiness in a box: greasy, salty, fragrant food that comes complete with a plastic throwaway toy. But there is good news: The government is getting tougher on advertisers and schools and encouraging restaurants to give children healthier options. Today, in many fast-food joints you can order apple slices instead of french fries and low-fat milk instead of a sugary soft drink. These choices didn’t exist even a few years ago. In my home state, New York, fast-food chains have to list the calorie counts of foods on their menu boards. That’s been a real eye-opener for many parents -- and everybody else.
From The Smart Parent's Guide: Getting Your Kids Through Checkups, Illnesses, and Accidents by Jennifer Trachtenberg.
Find out more about this book: The Smart Parent's Guide: Getting Your Kids Through Checkups, Illnesses, an...
There are a thousand important reasons to make sure your child adopts healthy eating habits and keeps a normal weight. However, it can seem like there are just as many factors that sabotage your efforts. First of all, by the time your child is four... More
