Promoting Healthy Eating Habits

Many families are looking for ideas on how they can improve their family’s eating habits. But making changes that last takes time. Healthier habits are easier to make when changes are made together as a family. To kick-off this discussion, we’re giving you parents out there tips on creating healthier meal patterns. Pick one or two from the list below to help your family improve their eating habits.

Creating healthy meal patterns

• Define specific roles for the parents and child at meal times. The parent will choose what, when, and where foods are offered. The child will decide whether and how much they will eat.

• Provide meals and snacks on a regular schedule. Children should eat 3 meals and 2 to 3 snacks each day. Only offer water between meal and snack times.

• Serve snacks that are mini meals. Use foods from 2 or 3 food groups to create balanced snacks.

• Eat together as a family. Children will learn to make healthy choices by watching their parents. Encourage everyone to practice stopping when they are full.

• It can be easy to overeat if you are focused on something else. Avoid distractions while eating, especially screen time.

• Use nonfood items as rewards. Try activity related rewards, like playing a board-game with the family, one-on-one football with dad in the yard or dress-up with mom. Items like a book, ball, bracelet or stickers are healthy rewards, too.

• Some children eat because they are bored or dealing with emotions, like being sad or upset. Talk with your child about activities they can do when they are bored and how to cope with their feelings.

• Include your whole family in food preparation and cooking.

Prepared by: Christeena Johnson, RD

Adapted from: Seattle Children’s Hospital (2017). Healthy eating habits. Retrieved from:
https://www.seattlechildrens.org/globalassets/documents/for-patients-and-families/ce/CE220-healthy-eating-habits.pdf