The Children's Day has just passed. In this special holiday for children, children will receive a variety of gifts, one of which is the longest term gift package for children's good eating habits.
Children and adolescents are in a critical period of growth and development. For children, good eating habits can not only promote the healthy growth of the body, but also lay a solid foundation for adult health. In childhood, special attention should be paid to children's eating behavior, including not being picky about food, not overeating, having regular and quantitative meals, eating and moving balance, paying attention to food intake, and also actively exercising to maintain a healthy weight.
To cultivate children's good eating habits, we should do the following:
1. Three meals a day, regular and quantitative, diversified food
Children are encouraged not to be picky or partial to food, and their extra meals are mainly milk and fruit. Between meals, the amount should not be too much.
2. Eating time is appropriate
Each meal lasts 20-30 minutes, allowing children to chew carefully and swallow slowly without delay.
3. Encourage but not force eating
Children do not watch mobile phones, TV, etc. when eating, and do not play while eating. Parents should set an example to children.
4. Change cooking methods and correct pickiness
For example, children do not like vegetables. Parents can make more stuffing or vegetable balls, cut vegetables and lean meat together to make dumplings or steamed buns, and encourage children to try and praise them.
5. Develop a good habit of drinking white water
Encourage drinking more white water, and do not use sugary drinks to replace white water.
6. Use the dining table as a place to talk with children
Create a good communication atmosphere, do not criticize or punish when eating, and do not use food as reward or punishment.
7. Encourage children to participate in the family food selection and preparation process
Hold hands together and enjoy cooking. In daily life, parents can lead children to go to the vegetable market to know and select vegetables, and help them pick and wash vegetables when cooking, so that children can do housework within their ability and experience the fun of giving and receiving.
8. Develop the good habit of light diet
Advocate less salt, less oil and less sugar, so that children can taste more of the natural flavor of food.
9. Children should take active exercise while not overeating
Exercise is very important for children to eat and move in balance. It is not only a short-term physical activity in physical education class, but also a long-term habit to adhere to every day. Parents should also participate in it, and properly accompany children to exercise together. While cultivating children's interest in sports, they also enhance mutual emotional exchanges.
Wen/Zhang Yan (Institute of Nutrition and Health, China Center for Disease Control and Prevention)
