This week in school, my daughter is learning all about being healthy. She got a healthy snack at school of carrots and apples. She came home with an adorable picture of a girl sneezing with a tissue between her face and hand. The picture said “Cover your mouth when you sneeze. Please.” They also learned about germs.
Last night at dinner, my husband was talking to our daughter about food. He is a health nut and a preventive medicine Physician Assistant. He spends his days talking about how to eat healthy, exercise, etc. etc. He was teaching her about what foods are made of. He gave our daughter choices like, “Is pasta a carb or a protein?” She knew the answers from previous conversations that he had with her.
It is never too early to teach our kids about good health, and more importantly about good food. We try really hard to give our kids good food choices. But, it is still hard. Once they get that first taste of candy, sugary fruit snacks, or juice, it can become a battle. But, giving your child more information, even at an early age, might help cut down on those battles. Don’t get me wrong, I still feed my kids mac n cheese once in a while, but I do like to explain the difference between healthy foods, and non-healthy foods.
When they beg for fruit snacks, and I offer them a banana instead, I try to explain to my oldest that the banana will make them stronger, make them feel better, and that she has already had her limit of non-healthy foods for the day. Sometimes she still begs for the fruit snacks, and I have to stay firm, but many times, she will make the right choice rather than go for nothing at all.
A recent study has shown that a healthy diet, early in life, might contribute to a slightly higher IQ. Go here for the article. I believe that knowledge is power. Don’t just tell your child what is healthy, and what is not. Instead, teach them the difference between healthy and non-healthy foods. They will listen because they love to learn at this age. While they may not always make the healthiest choice, at least they will have the tools to help them stay on the right path later in life. And, who knows, maybe they’ll just be a little smarter because of it.
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