Curbing the Junk Food Monster

Junk food might include items like: potato chips, candy, chocolate, artificially flavoured drinks, etc. Junk food is appealing to kids because of the taste, color and appearance. Some junk food companies regularly target children with enticing ad campaigns for fast food.

Parents can easily get sucked into the junk food routine because it's so much quicker and easier than preparing a full, well-balanced meal. While junk food is faster to grab and go, it can lead to a variety of health issues, such as: tooth decay and cavities, stomach problems, and more.

Here are some ways to curb the junk food monster in your house and create a healthier lifestyle:

Family meals - Busy families find it especially difficult to make time for family meals. With soccer practice, track meets and band rehearsals filling nearly every week day, families are spread thin. Schedule a special day once per week for a family dinner. During dinner, take turns talking about your day. Slow down and enjoy your meal and this time together.

Involve the family - Get the entire family involved in planning and cooking your family dinner. Homemade pizza is always a fun meal to make with kids. Tacos are another quick and easy meal to make with kids. Put each family member in charge of a certain aspect of the meal, from setting the table to preparing the dinner.

Be creative - Create fun healthy snacks and meals. Your imagination is your only limitation. Invent new names for vegetables and fruits. You might call carrots "dynamite sticks" or instead of giving your child baby tomatoes call them "mini bombs." Pay attention to what your child's favorite toys or movies, and then rename fruits and veggies with fun, similar names.

Variety - Most young children will only eat the foods they are familiar with. Very few are willing to try foods that are different. However, variety is important. Try introducing one new food per week. If you attempt to present too many new foods at once, your child may refuse them all. Give them one new vegetable at dinner time every day for one week. If they refuse to eat it for the week, introduce a new food the following week.

Start the day off right - Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Jumpstart your kids' day with a healthy breakfast. Include sweet fruits, like honeydew and cantaloupe, to make this meal more appealing. Even adding something as simple as a whole fruit juice can give your child a better jumpstart to their day.

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