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We know the struggle; every time you put your kids into a healthy eating routine, a celebration comes up and turns everything topsy-turvy. Now your kids want a piece of cake or candy for dinner and won’t eat a single spoon of the salad you prepared all evening. But as you might have tried, simply telling your kids “No” does no good. So how do you encourage your kids to eat healthy without turning meal times into wartime? Well, we have the answer. Here in this article are a few phrases to help your kids understand the importance of excluding refined sugar from their diet without turning it into a fight. Read on!
1. “Celebrations with cakes and cookies are great, but they’re not meant to be eaten daily.”
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In other words, you need to admit that you enjoyed the additional sweets (because you did). Some foods are better saved for special occasions, while others are staples that help us stay healthy and energetic every day. Once your kids understand this, it will be a smooth sailing journey after that.
2. “When you eat loads of fruits and veggies, I feel thrilled.”
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Ask your kids to think of all the benefits they will get from a healthy diet rather than dwelling on why sugar is harmful. You may explain how eating carrots helps us see clearly, how oranges protect us from the common cold, and how consuming kale makes us feel great and provides us plenty of energy for play.
3. “What kind of fruit would you like to eat with your lunch?”
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Let your kid have some say in what nutritious meals they consume to keep things interesting. Having only two or three options is good. The key is to give them a choice to decide whether they want to shop from the local supermarket or hand you a list they create for their choice of veggies and fruits.
4. “Let us try to create a fruit and veggie rainbow with the food on your plate!”
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Children are thrilled by colorful things. Take advantage of the fact that rainbows are liked by kids everywhere and have them build their own delicious versions. Infuse some silliness by jotting down your shopping list using a variety of colored pencils and carrying it with you as you shop. Give your kid free reign over the fruit area and have them pick out one item of each hue.
5. “You can choose a treat for dinner, but candy is not an option.”
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Be careful to reassure your children that they’ll still occasionally get to indulge in sweets. Instead of telling kids that sugar will make them crazy or that sweets will ruin their teeth, just let them understand when it’s alright to have a treat. Having a firm limit in place, such as “no dessert until after dinner every night, no dessert until Friday nights, will help quell the incessant requests for sweets.
6. “Treats feel special only when you don’t have them every day.”
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Explain to your kid that the novelty of holiday sweets is half the joy of eating them. These unique celebrations, which we look forward to yearly, contribute to the season’s enchantment. Just like it would be boring to have the Christmas tree up for the year or dress up as a witch every day, the same could be said about eating sweets year-round.
7. “Next week, when we go shopping, let’s try to come up with a nutritious treat to buy.”
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Create a list of nutritious snacks you might bring home from the store with your kid’s help. This may be an unusual granola bar, a new variety of fruit, or the ingredients for a tasty trail mix they haven’t had in a while. You may still appreciate the treat’s sweetness without the added sugar.
8. “Would you like to bake a snack with me?”
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Help your children overcome the sugar rush they had during the holidays by keeping the tradition of baking Christmas cookies together going strong far into the new year. Find a nutritious muffin recipe, some baked oat cookies, some energy bites, or whatever else you feel comfortable feeding your child daily that adheres to your own family’s dietary criteria.
The effects of glucose on the body may be discussed without making the substance sound evil. Simply warning your little one about the harmful impact of sweets might backfire and make them want it even more. But you should still tell them the truth if you can. Tell them straight up that sugar interferes with their ability to sleep or focus or perform any number of other tasks. So, what is your favorite way to help little kids understand refined sugar is bad for health? Let us know in the comments section!
