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Three Tips to Getting Your Children To Eat Healthy

Posted on Apr 08, 2016

Fitness is the first step to leading a healthy lifestyle, as most people would agree. At Monkey Joe’s Westheimer in Houston Texas, we love to watch our guests get physically active in our giant inflatable playground, but we also know that exercise alone is not enough to foster a healthy lifestyle. A healthy well-balanced diet is also crucial to get your child off to a healthy start in life, and help them establish good habits. It can often be difficult to get children to eat the right foods to nourish their growing bodies because their palettes are not fully developed yet. At Monkey Joe’s Westhiemer we want to offer some suggestions for getting your children to eat healthier, some of which may surprise you.

1. Make Food A Game: Your parents probably scolded you as a child for playing with your food, but it can actually be a creative way to get your child to eat foods they may dislike! For instance, your child may not like broccoli, but pretending they must eat all of the “trees” in the village to allow the fire rescue team ability to pass, they may give it a try.

2. Don’t Force A Finish: While it is often beneficial to require your children to try all of their food, requiring them to sit at the table until it is completely gone may lead to negative associations with food, which will not help them finish their vegetables at all! Instead, offer incentives for trying new food, without requiring them to get the clean plate award.

3. Understand Their Expectations: While adults know that vegetables make them healthier, and that is enough incentive to eat them, children have a different set of priorities. Most children do not yet understand the value of health, so changing your approach may work to your benefit. Telling your child by eating healthy food they will be stronger, or be sick less often.

With regular exercise and a well-balanced diet, your child will be able to grow up strong and healthy!