The saying “You are what you eat” is one that many of us know; however, we choose to ignore. Why do many of us know that what we eat is bad for us? however, we consume it regularly, sometimes three, four or more times a week.

Fast and processed foods are everywhere, and they come at a low price and a high level of convenience. No one has time to cook these days, yet somehow we have time to consume this food in front of the television once it has been microwaved, or prepared by our youngsters in some small fast food kitchen. Admittedly, this is a generalization, and no doubt many FitKids readers are turning to good home-cooked meals, but the rise in childhood obesity would show that this is a factor weighing heavily on the future of our children’s lifestyles. .

These fast and processed foods contain high levels of chemicals and additives as well as large amounts of saturated fat, the ‘bad’ fats and the fats that are most difficult for our bodies to break down and eliminate. However, its “exquisite taste” and affordable price range trump the alternative, which is fresh, healthy home-cooked meals.

Aside from the above, and other issues we face, which is when it comes to preparing these foods, one of the most common statements I hear as a personal trainer is that “healthy food costs too much.” There is no doubt that the cost of living in general is on the rise, unfortunately this is one of the factors that we cannot change, but if we take the time to look at the amount of waste that we throw away throughout the year, the cost of shopping for healthier foods wouldn’t be so overwhelming.

The truth is that it all comes down to discipline, allowing you to discover new ways to introduce these kinds of changes to family routines without causing major disruption.

At the end of the day we can make excuse after excuse as to why we can’t find the time to eat healthy, engage in physical activity and make time for our kids to do it too, but what you’ll find is it can become a vicious cycle that we don’t take you nowhere.

Here are some tips to introduce a healthy nutritional diet into a family lifestyle. Remember that this can be a gradual process, as changing everything at once can hurt the overall results we want. Take some time to plan how you can make some positive changes to your children’s daily food intake and see if any of the ideas here on FitKids Online can benefit you.

Get kids excited about food

There is no doubt that children can be stubborn when it comes to food and the easy option is to feed them their favorite food over and over again. One of the ways to overcome this is to involve children in the food process from the beginning stages to the end result on your plate.

grow your own vegetables

Planting and growing your own vegetables can be a rewarding challenge not only for our children but also for us parents. Although this is a timely process, once a garden has been established it can be maintained for each season much more easily.

Let your kids choose which vegetables they want to grow, and encourage them to help water the crop every day. Explain the benefits of growing your own vegetables to your children, it is not only an exciting activity for children, but it can also be very beneficial in terms of knowledge and education.

Take the kids shopping

If growing your own vegetables is not ideal for you, this is not a problem. Another solution to engage children with food is to take them shopping with you. Let them choose items that look fun and exciting, and come up with new recipes together. Think of ways to create your favorite processed foods using healthy alternatives.

Chicken nuggets can contain almost any part of a chicken, from the healthy, succulent meat, to the not-so-attractive interior, legs, and even the beak. Add condoms, dyes, and other unknown ingredients, and we’ll soon lose track of what our children are consuming.

A cheap and healthy alternative to this is to make your own chicken nuggets with chicken breast, flour, eggs, oil, and breadcrumbs. Do not think that using a little oil to cook them will make them just as unhealthy, our body needs a certain amount of fat and this way we can guarantee that we know exactly what is going on in our children’s bellies.

Encouraging them to cook and be creative.

I normally employ a strict policy in our house that the kitchen is off limits to my daughter. With sharp knives, hot pans, boiling water, and a low oven, there are many dangers that I would rather my daughter not face at the age of two. In saying this, my daughter loves to cook and food is already easily one of her biggest passions.

My solution to this was to buy my daughter her own range of kid-friendly kitchen utensils, in bright colors obviously to catch her eye. She has her own kitchen area where she can help me prepare food, but she is far enough out of reach of anything dangerous. By creating a set of boundaries, she has learned that although there may be some restrictions with certain activities, she can still have fun and explore the fascination of food in her own space.

As a father, food has always been of great importance when it comes to my daughter. From the time she was able to digest solid food, I had no doubt that it would be comfort food from the start. I think this perspective is what has helped her develop such a love for all kinds of food and this can only become more and more positive every day. With a love of vegetables such as squash, leeks, sprouts and sweet potatoes, as well as many types of meat, I am able to provide a well-balanced nutritional intake at a very young age.

trying new foods

Don’t be afraid to explore new foods, you never know the results until you try it. The older kids get, the harder it is to change their minds and routines as they wonder why we would want to do such a thing. Stubbornness and willpower can also come into play when a child decides he doesn’t want to do something.

Don’t let this scare you off though as introducing new foods can be fun and exciting, we just need to find solutions to the problem and if all else fails we can always disguise the food in the meals we prepare. If your child loves spaghetti bolognese, grate some carrot and thinly slice some mushrooms to create a healthier alternative. Homemade beef patties and sausage rolls can also be made with many types of vegetables.

Eliminate junk food from cupboards

Sometimes, to get the results we want, we have to play the part of the not-so-favorite parent. Removing junk food from cupboards or placing it out of sight and out of reach is one way to start making a change in a child’s nutritional intake. Persistence is key in this step, and although it may seem like a daunting task, over time your child will learn to appreciate what is available instead of dwelling on what is not.

Essential Intake of Proteins, Carbohydrates and Fats

The science that is protein, carbohydrate and fat intake can be an art form, numbers and trial and error are important here and this is well known to professional athletes, bodybuilders and personal trainers.

When it comes to children’s nutritional intake, unless we’re looking at dramatic levels of obesity or dangers of high cholesterol, diabetes, and other health implications, the numbers game is something I like to avoid. Children need the freedom to explore new concepts and ideas, not be limited by a fixed daily diet. As long as the food we provide to our children is healthy and free of additives, we will be on the right track in educating them about a healthy and active lifestyle.

Remember, our main goal is to create that lifestyle for our children, but we need to find a comfortable balance, as every family is different. Take your time to plan it out and implement the ideas one at a time. It can be a difficult but rewarding process in the long run.

For more tips on infant nutrition, visit FitKids Online. fit kids online is a site I’ve developed to raise awareness of these issues and educate parents about children’s active lifestyles. As a father, as well as a personal trainer, the issue of childhood obesity is something that worries me a lot. If through FitKids Online I can help a single child to lead a healthier and more active lifestyle, then I can say that it has been a success.

Also available is the FitKids Online eGuide “A Good Start for Life” where we’ll take a closer look at why childhood obesity is becoming an epidemic and how it appears to be a problem spiraling out of control at an accelerating rate. .

I hope this has been beneficial to you in one way or another, and has possibly opened your eyes to a problem that has gone unnoticed for many years. If you take a moment to look at fitkidsonline.co, I hope you will find some valuable information and I look forward to hearing your responses, questions and queries.