No one teaches parents how to be effective teachers when it comes to food, nutrition and body image. I see a lot of parents give up, and my job is to show them how they can be effective and rewarding at the same time.
I am sure you remember a favorite teacher who transformed the way you thought about a subject. One mistake we make is to try to push our reasons for health and fitness onto our kids instead of giving them room to discover on their own. We need to not lecture but show them how activities they enjoy are impacted by nutrition. They will be able to run the mile faster or get more goals in soccer. Kids are more interested in the present benefits of looking good, clear skin, and improved sports performance. Encourage your child to notice how food or combinations of foods give them energy as opposed to feeling sleepy when eating too many carbs. Show them how to become the expert on their body and learn what foods make them feel high energy. They are not concerned with preventing diabetes or other health issues. I am glad to tell you that my teens notice that with improved nutrition they see a difference in their hair, skin, and nails. Their hair is shiny and does not fall out, their skin is not red all the time and has less breakouts and their nails are growing and are stronger and not breaking easily.
Taste and appearance of food is number one for children of all ages and must go hand in hand with good nutrition. I am constantly teaching a parent how to make the plate look attractive. The veggies must be tasty such as taking the time to saute them in garlic and olive oil and spices they like .I enjoy Skinnytaste.com for healthy recipes with high flavor and fresh ingredients.
Yes, you have to stock the kitchen with quality food and allow them to make certain meals and snacks. When the kids come home from school put out on the counter a fresh variety of veggies with ranch dressing or hummus along with chicken strips and BBQ sauce. If the healthy food is in front of them and they are hungry and it looks inviting they will eat it. Make a family menu and be prepared and organized with meals along with reasonable desserts.
Dedicate one night a week to kid cook night. They pick out a healthy recipe with you. You shop with them on the weekend and they will definitely eat the meal they prepare and be very proud of themselves. One area that I work on with families is how to understand the food label. As a parent please take the time and teach your child how to read the food label. Show them the serving size and what that actually looks like. Often the serving size is very small compared to what we might eat. Maybe they are having 3 servings of cereal and need to realize that is 3 times the amount of calories. Show them the sugar content for sure which can be a big surprise.
Now I have to say older kids will not be successful if you are not a role model for them. The best way for them to do well if they are not singled out and the family is following the healthy meal plan as well. Maybe this is your chance as a parent to improve your nutrition for the sake of your child.
Another area that a parent can help a child with is helping them understand how media is superficial and that how much work goes into making people look perfect such as makeup, hair and photo-shopping. They need to understand how unrealistic advertising is and not to be taken by the commercials on TV. In summary, this is typically what I will discuss in my sessions with
families. If you feel that you need the support and education for the family I am happy to help you.
HEALTH INSURANCE WILL PAY FOR NUTRITIONAL COUNSELLING! AETNA, ABMG, BLUE CROSS , BLUE SHIELD, CCHP, Hill, UHC, SUTTER and others. I would be happy to call your insurance on your behalf to check on coverage.
Refer to my website www.LindaRD.com for information about my services. Please call me at (925) 855-0150 about your nutrition concerns or email me at lifeweight1@yahoo.com and refer to my website www.LindaRD.com.