Blogging to Improve Awareness for Children’s Nutrition
Most people know that the food they eat directly influences their health and energy levels, but parents often neglect to teach their children how to eat healthy. According to a staff blog post at Fitness By the Sea Day Camp, parents often talk to their children about life but fail to teach them the importance of nutrition. Blogging about nutrition can help these parents become aware of how to teach their children to have a healthier life and reduce the possibility of health ailments later in life. Parents don’t have to lecture their kids, but subtle reminders about the health benefits of foods can go a long way toward promoting the right mindset about food.
Offering Tips for Grocery Shopping
When writing a blog for a non-profit group that advocates for children’s nutrition, discuss ways that parents can engage their children and educate them about the different foods available during routine trips to the grocery store. Turning grocery shopping into a game can help children begin to learn about the different foods available and how those foods can benefit their health. For example, start with the basics and have your child identify as many fruits, vegetables and proteins as possible. Parents with more than one child can have a contest to see who can come up with the most foods.
The Food Pyramid and MyPlate
According to The United States Department of Agriculture, good nutrition requires a balance of foods from the protein, dairy, vegetable, fruits and grain food groups. Discussing how to use these tools can help your audience to better teach their kids about nutrition. Parents can motive kids to eat healthier by explaining how certain foods will make them think more clearly, give them more energy or perform better in school.
The Benefits of Food
It’s important that parents not just show how to make a balanced meal, but also teach children about the benefits of certain foods. Explaining how foods high in protein can help them grow stronger gives the child a reason to look for high protein foods. Talking about how calcium can give them strong bones and teeth lets them know why it’s important to drink dairy products. Discussing how vegetables have special nutrients that can help them maintain a healthy heart and keep their bodies clean provides a reason to eat their vegetables.
The Five Food Groups
Provide information on the five food groups, including fruits, grains, protein, vegetables and dairy. Offer useful tips on how kids can identify the food groups by name, ask them to find one item from each food group in the pantry or refrigerator. By doing this whenever meals are cooked or while putting groceries away, parents can help educate children about food and make them more aware of what they are eating. Encouraging kids to select meals that contain foods from all of the five food groups can help set them on a path toward thinking about their health and nutrition.
Children typically eat what is put in front of them when they are younger. As they get older and have more choices available, they may not know how to make the best decision when it comes to their health. Blog about why it’s important to educate children about the importance of nutrition from an early age. Making eating well a part of the entire family’s lifestyle can help to instill healthy lifetime eating habits.