Maintaining healthy eating habits for children ages 5 to 10 is a major challenge for parents today. Recently, obesity has taken over the US education system, with two-thirds of adults in the US being overweight and at least one-third considering themselves obese. These are alarming numbers for future children as obesity increases. That’s why it’s so important that young children, especially from the earliest ages of 5 to 10, learn and maintain healthy eating habits into their teens.

Unhealthy foods from a young age give young children a bad habit of eating unhealthy foods that they carry into their teens and early twenties. This is the main problem of the Americans. Bad eating habits and the rise of fast food, etc. that adapt to those unhealthy habits. The implementation of healthy eating habits should start with young children. Parents who regularly expose their children to fast food, processed frozen foods, or malnourished diets should quickly change their children’s diet.

It is important that children between the ages of 5 and 10 receive enough vitamins and nutrition for their bodies and brains to develop within that time frame. A good base is a variety of fruits and vegetables, vitamin tablets, fewer fatty foods, lots of calcium for bone growth, cereals, dairy products, whole wheat bread, no soft drinks but 100% juices, lean meats, and fish. But most importantly, children need to learn to enjoy healthy choices so that, as adults, they can maintain a healthy lifestyle. Some tips to maintain healthy eating habits are:

-Have a specific time and place in the house for family dinner. Watching TV while you feed your kids is not something you want them to do when they grow up. Make sure dinner time is family time and no TV is allowed.

-Encourage your children to eat slowly. This lets them know when they’re legitimately full, and not just partially full with one very quick bite.

-Lunch pack. School cafeterias are notorious for offering unhealthy lunch plans. French fries, hamburgers, fried chicken, and pizza are staples at many schools. Instead, pack the traditional sandwich, baked potato chips, 100% juice, and an apple. It saves you money in the long run and ensures that your children receive a healthy diet.

-Make them drink water! Unless it’s 100% juice, most other sweetened beverages are loaded with sugar, and sodas especially, are a leading cause of obesity.

-If they don’t like vegetables, give them more! People today seem not to care if their children are eating enough vegetables because they can just give them vitamins to cover it up. But vegetables are full of nature’s healthy remedies. Vegetables (and fruits) are known to be cancer-fighting foods, can prevent vision loss (especially common in young children who watch too much TV), give your child’s heart much-needed protection from future heart attacks or strokes, lowers blood pressure, and is a healthy source of fiber.

-Also, make sure your kids brush AND floss every day. No need to explain here, but it does protect your kids from cavities, bad breath, and gum disease.

-If you fear that your child is overweight, do not panic. Young children need to eat a lot to ensure their development, and their bodies still have years to grow. Going on diets so early in your life is unnecessary. Just make sure they’re eating right and their eating habits are healthy enough to see them into their teens and early twenties.

Giving your children the right nutritional plan is an essential job for all parents. Ages 5-10 are an excellent time for children to learn the right way to eat, and hopefully over the years of continued healthy habits, they will carry these healthy habits through high school, college, and beyond. they will pass them on to their own children.