Dear friend, 

This is Dr Omerine and I hope you are having a wonderful day.

A recent report from the Harvard School of Public Health stated that childhood obesity is one of the most serious public health challenges of the 21st century.  Obesity can harm almost every system in a child’s body including the heart, lungs, kidneys, bones and digestive tract. Establishing healthy eating habits at an early age is key in preventing CHILDHOOD OBESITY. 

Let’s face it, almost every parent automatically goes into a discussion about eating healthy with the fear of dread and failure. It is written all over our faces. We go into that conversation expecting a battle and even a loss.

It does not have to be that way. Let’s talk about re some creative and fun ways to get the kids excited about eating healthy.

1)Make It Fun!

There are so many creative ways to get the kids involved in making healthy choices. What you want to accomplish is a sense of pride and a feeling that they are in control. Once you take out the idea that you are in control and it is their body and their choice, things will go a little smoother.

2)TAKE THEM GROCERY SHOPPING

Have your children accompany you to a fresh fruit and vegetable stand. If the weather permits, get your kids involved in picking their own fruit – anything from strawberries to apples and grapes to pumpkins that is available in season for picking. On your outing, make it clear that the foods they are picking will be the ones that they will help to make into meals.

3)GET YOUR KIDS INTO THE KITCHEN

Do you remember cooking with your mom or grandmother?  Cooking should not be a chore it should be a family function. Use it as a chance to bond with your children and make memories.  The holiday time is a perfect time opportunity to create a family tradition. Have them take turns chopping, dicing and seasoning (of course, according to age and safety) foods.  This gives the kids a great opportunity to see that  healthy cooking is fun while giving them a sense of pride and a lifelong skill.

4)TEACH BOYS TO COOKING

Listen, cooking should not be reserved for girls only. This is a life skill that will help them survive on their own. It also teaches them the basics of how to take care of a family and shows them that responsibility should be shared between partners.  

 5) LET THEM MAKE THE MENU

Have a schedule of who gets to pick which meal for the week. Let your children sit down on a Sunday and browse a cookbook of simple recipes, or go online. We all know that our children are perfectly capable of using the internet. By having each child pick a meal once or twice for the week, you give that child of feeling of accomplishment and success. Then, take them to the store for the ingredients. Have some fun when you get home and sort and group your vegetables by color. Slice, dice, and parboil them and put them into little baggies for later use.

6) MAKE HEALTHY DESSERTS

Another great idea is to have a special treat for dessert that has healthier ingredients and prepare it for the weekend. You can use things like skim milk or egg whites to make heart-healthy desserts fun that are  tasty too!

Xoxo 

Dr Omerine