Part of raising healthy kids involves ensuring that their diet fuels both their bodies and their minds. The only problem with this is that many kids would prefer to eat fast food and candy over fruits and vegetables.

If you and your family developed some bad dietary habits, there’s no better time than the present to start making some positive changes. To show you how you can start to encourage this type of behavior in your kids, here are three ways you can be an example of developing healthy food habits for life.

Stock Your Home With Healthy Food Options

Before your kids can start learning to love foods that are good for their bodies, they have to be exposed to these types of foods.

To help with this, Dr. Renee A. Alli, a contributor to WebMD.com, suggests that you keep your home stocked with healthy food options. If you decide not to get any processed foods when you’re at the grocery store, you won’t have those foods sitting at home staring your kids in the face while you try to convince them to eat their peas. So to get your kids used to seeing and smelling healthier foods, you have to replace any unhealthy foods with the ones you’d like them to start eating.

Don’t Use Food As A Reward

One habit that many people have regarding food is using it as a reward when something good happens. However, this can cause you and your children to develop unhealthy relationships with food.

To combat this, ChooseMyPlate.gov recommends that you begin rewarding your kids with attention rather than with food items. So rather than giving your kids a cookie or candy when they get good grades or win their soccer game, spend time with them doing something they’ll enjoy that isn’t necessarily related to food.

Take Caution When Drinking Alcohol In Front Of Your Kids

Not only are you setting an example for your kids to have a healthy diet by the foods you eat and how you speak about your relationship with food, but you also show your kids how to be safe drinkers by the way you consume alcohol.

Because of this, Dr. Steven Dowshen, a contributor to KidsHealth.org, advises that you always take caution when drinking alcohol around or in front of your kids. Be a good example of moderation and not relying on alcohol to help you relax or have fun. Additionally, you should never get behind the wheel when you’ve been drinking. These types of memories are ones that will stick with your kids for years, so make sure you’re making wise decisions in front of them.

To help prepare your kids for when they’re making their own decisions about their diet, consider using the tips mentioned above to see how you can be a better example to them with your own behavior.

Anna Jones
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