Optimal health is only achievable through the combination of fitness/exercise and healthy eating.
A healthy diet can impact your child’s life in the following ways:
Physical Development- A healthy diet can improve your child’s physical function in all aspects; a diet rich in vitamins, minerals, fats, proteins, veggies, fruits, etc. will help your child reach their fullest height potential and develop strong bones. Repercussions of neglecting your child’s diet can include (but is not limited to) delayed puberty, a short stature, susceptibility to infections or illness, poor bone health, dehydration and so much more.
Educational Development- It has been proven that kids who eat a bigger breakfast and eat the right foods throughout the day tend to perform better at school. Breakfast serves as the foundation for the whole day and gives kids the energy to carry on. A healthy breakfast has shown to increase problem-solving skills, memory, verbal fluency and creativity. Our brains need the calories to not only function with basic tasks, but to retain vital information.
What can we do?
Make it routine- Cook mainly healthy dishes for your family. Instead of making it a chore, be creative and of course, try to make meals that your kids enjoy. Offer fruits and veggies as snacks for your kids, and put only healthy items in their lunch boxes. Save treats for special occasions.
Lead By Example- Show your kids what a healthy plate should look like, loading half of it with fruits and veggies and the other half with lean proteins, whole grains and healthy fats as a rough guide. Eat the same meals as your kids do.
A proper nutritional diet at a young age is vital for children’s development and growth! Introducing healthy foods to your children will help them develop to their fullest potential and to create habits that will carry them throughout the rest of their life.