How To Raise Kids with Healthy Eating Habits

Me in my little kitchen

How did your own parents define healthy eating when you were growing up? How were mealtimes treated in your home? For most people, their current eating habits and views about food were learned from their parents.

This was definitely the case for Brian and I. When we got married, we brought two different definitions of “healthy” into our mealtimes. As my mom had learned new things about food–cause let’s be honest, the food industry has changed a TON in the last 20 years–she shared those with her kids. Over all those years, I had paid attention.

So, naturally, since I was the main meal-maker in my new family, I brought not only these nuggets of knowledge to the table but also the same desire to learn and grow in the area of nutrition. Our own kids are learning what we know about healthy eating, and they hear what we learn.

Cooking with my daughter

Behaviors and attitudes toward food are both caught and taught on a regular basis. We are walking examples for them on what is good for their bodies and what foods they need to stay healthy and feel great.

You are your kids’ best teacher and role model!

Webster’s defines healthy as anything “conducive to health”–conducive to “the condition of being sound in body, mind or spirit; especially freedom from physical disease or pain.” And the definition goes a bit further to say that health is “a flourishing condition: well-being.”

We passionately believe that the best things for our health and well-being are those that nature can provide. This is no secret in the health or nutritional science industry. Our bodies are amazing machines, and research has always shown that when we put the best, natural fuel in, we get the best performance out.

So, our goal in raising healthy eaters is two-fold:

• keeping food intake as natural as possible and not loading up their bodies with artificial stuff that can’t be used,
• helping our kids learn to enjoy a variety of foods and what a balanced diet looks like.

Fresh food market in Italy