Things Parents Must Teach Kids about Food

Does your child have bad food habits? Here are a few things you can teach your children about food.Everybody loves to eat food. Children feel hungry all the time. Although parents serve whatever they make children often forget about food once it is done. Food is such an integral part of life that we often forget to be grateful or thankful for it.Here are a few things parents can teach their kids about food. In this articleRespect FoodEat HealthyDo Not Bother about TasteNever WasteNever CriticizeDo Not Be UnhygienicRespect FoodChildren should be taught to respect food. There are many children who criticize and waste food. They complain to their mother about the taste and type of food. When children go to school, they often compare their own lunch boxes with others. Children should be taught to respect food and be grateful for any kind of food. They should be taught to never compare taste, etc.Eat HealthyHome-made food is always healthier than outside food. Teach children to eat healthy home-made food instead of regularly ordering from hotels. Once children realize the value of nutritious home cooked food, they will never feel like eating too much of outside food. They will start enjoying home-cooked food once they realize that it is good for health and much better than junk foods.Do Not Bother about TasteVery often, children only bother about taste. In today’s world, children are very accustomed to eating from the canteen, etc. Tell your kids to not bother much about the taste. Very often unhealthy foods taste good, but they are not actually so good for health. Teach your kids to eat fruits and vegetables even if they do not like the taste. Food is not only about enjoyment.Never WasteThere are many children in poor countries like Africa, who do not even have a morsel of food to eat. On the other hand, there are kids from rich families who do not think twice before wasting or throwing away food. Teach children to take small servings and eat only the quantity they want. There’s no point piling too much food on the plate if you are not going to eat it. Even in hotels, parents should only order what is required or parcel the rest.Never CriticizeChildren should be taught to never criticize food no matter how good or bad it is. Teach your children to say a small prayer before every meal thanking God for the food they are given. If there are any poor or orphan children in your child’s school, you can ask your son and daughter to share the food. If it is economically feasible for you, you can also teach your son or daughter to carry an extra tiffin box with food for those who are not so well to do.Do Not Be UnhygienicAs much as possible, children should be asked to avoid unhealthy food which has been cooked in an improper manner. If you have a maid to cook food, ensure that she is as hygienic as possible. Teach children to always wash the hands before sitting down for food. They should not eat too much of road-side food or pick up food which has fallen down. Ask children to always wash fruits before eating.These are a few things which can be taught to kids. According to Ayurveda, one must not drink too much water in between meals or immediately after meals. Children should not be allowed to be fussy. Ask them to eat whatever is given to them. After all, mum would have prepared it with a lot of hard work. Teach your kids to enjoy whatever is offered by being a good role model.How to inculcate good food habits in children? Which things should parent teach their kids about food? What are ways to break bad food habits in children? Discuss here.