Benefits of Healthy Eating for Children

Healthy eating for children is important because it allows for their bodies to obtain the nutrients needed to help them grow. When a child engages in healthy living, they receive a lifetime bonus with a stronger and healthier mind and body. Children who do not eat healthily are at a disadvantage.  They can face decades of mental and physical health issues in the long run.  This is also the case for children that may eat well, but eat too much! Without a proper diet and exercise, many children face more challenges they will need to overcome.

A Child’s Body

From birth, all the way to the first eight years of a child’s life, children’s bodies develop at a rapid pace. This is a crucial time for them because it’s when they acquire new teeth, brain cells and bones. Calcium, such as milk, yogurt and cheese, provide nutrients that help the body grow strong. Because children are a lot smaller than adults, they need more liquids (like water) in their bodies, so that they won’t become dehydrated. Having your child eat foods with iron in them is also important so that their bodies can manufacture myelin.

Children’s brain cells develop thousands of connections and a protective sheath, myelin, grows around developing nerves throughout their bodies. Children need iron in their diets, which can be found in foods such as tuna and whole wheat bread, so their bodies can manufacture myelin.

Ways to Practice Healthy Eating HabitsHealthy Eating

There are many ways to practice healthy eating habits some seem obvious, but still take a concerted effort:

  1. Parents watch they snacks that their kid is getting and simply give their children healthy foods.
  2. Both the parent and child should talk about the benefits of healthy eating and the problems that occur when they do not.
  3. Parents can get help from kid-friendly websites that talk about healthy eating habits.

As a child gets older, it gets a little harder to watch every single thing that goes into their mouth. It is better to have your child start living a healthy lifestyle now so that it can become a committed routine.

Healthy Eating at Day Care

At Paradigm, we care about your child’s health. In fact, we provide healthy snacks and meals for your child. The main dish, such as meat, fruit, veggies and grain is served every day. If a child isn’t too fond of a particular food preference, we always encourage them to take at least one bite of the food that they do not like. Practicing good eating habits is essential to today’s world. Not only should it be practiced at daycare, but at home as well. If you have any further questions regarding healthy eating at Paradigm, please contact us at our Waterford or Canton location. Or, you can check out our FAQs.