Learning healthy eating habits at a young age can reap benefits for a lifetime. As a parent, you can encourage your kids to evaluate their food choice and physical activity habits. Here are some tips to get you started.

1. Eat healthy breakfast – Breakfast is the most important meal of the day and it kick-starts the body, giving your child lasting energy throughout the day to think and learn in school. Simple preparation like cereal with milk and fruit, whole-grain toast can help your child stay at a healthy weight.
2. Eat together as a family – It is very tempting to eat dinner in front of the television or eating meals separately at different intervals. However, if you encourage your children to eat regular meals with you at the table, it doesn’t only reduce snacking, it can also instill them with valuable social skills and strengthen the family bonding. Do keep family meals pleasant and positive.
3. Proper Supplementation – Children can be picky eaters and it is not easy to make sure they get the nutrition they need from food alone. Lack of proper nutrition can leave them feeling drained, leading to a decrease of attention span in class. Hence, it is essential to supplement them with a wide range of vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients specifically for active, growing children. Get the right nutrition for brain health support such as folate, vitamin B6 and B12. Load them with vitamin A, C and E to support healthy immune function.
4. Make smart swaps – Sometimes, it is hard to avoid the fast food restaurant, especially when your children have cravings for it. But that doesn’t mean you always have to go for lower-nutrient food like French fries, fried chicken or sugar-laden soft drinks. Simply make small substitutions. Such as substituting soft drinks with juice or mineral water. Trade the fries for vegetables or fruits.
5. Drink water – Make water the drink of choice at meal times, and keep sweet flavored drinks and juice as occasional treats. This helps them to develop a good habit to go for water first when they are thirsty, instead of sugar-sweetened drinks.
6. Be a good role model – Your own eating and lifestyle choices are a powerful teaching tool. Your children learn more from your behavior than from what you say. Hence, be mindful of your own choices: Are you going for healthy foods? Are you getting physically active? By setting a positive example, you will send a message that good health is important to your family and they will develop the habit to eat smart too.

Also, activity is just as important as healthy eating. Get in the habit of doing simple exercises together, such as going for post-dinner walk, bike ride or swimming to keep the kids extra active. Everyone will benefit from the exercise and the time together.

If you or a loved one would like professional medical advice on proper diet plans, call our friendly medical concierge at +65 6679 7867 or email us at customercare@tmcg.com.sg and we will be on hand to assist you.