Healthy Eating Made Easy: Tips and Tricks for Class 2 Students

In a world filled with processed foods and fast-food counters at every nook and corner, it gets harder and harder for parents to develop healthy eating habits in children. Especially when many of their peers regularly consume outside food. To ensure your kids do not remain behind either in nutrition, at school, or in their friend circle, you need to inculcate healthy eating habits in a fun and interesting way in your second graders.

Do not let your kids be afflicted by the global obesity epidemic and lifestyle diseases, incorporate more whole foods into their diet. But how will you get your kids to form healthy eating habits when they barely listen to you and toy around with the food on their plates? Here are some easy tips and tricks to get your class 2 students into healthy eating.

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Tips And Tricks To Get Your Class 2 Students Into Healthy Eating

1. Maintain A Schedule of Meals And Snacks

It is always wise to maintain a timing and daily schedule of meals as it is beneficial for digestive health and helps eat healthy. Second graders need two snacks and at least three meals daily, therefore, try to maintain timing and optimal gap between snacks and meals. Ideally, there should be a 2-hour gap between snacks and meals and a 4 to 6-hour gap between meals. Maintain timings as their body clock will get adjusted accordingly, and they will have less inclination to overeat or have extra snacks. 

2. Plan Weekly Menus Together

Plan your food menu for the upcoming week with your child. If preparing a week’s meal in advance seems daunting, then try doing it for 2 to 3 days for the first time. You need not specify each day’s dishes, but at least have an idea of what ingredients you will require. Involve your second grader in the process as they are far more likely to eat what they have chosen out of available options. For example, if your kid likes pasta, pick out some vegetables and whole grain pasta shapes of their choice, and reuse them to make pasta salads for another meal, and the leftover chopped veggies can be paired with a homemade dip or turned into vegetable chips, for a tasty snack. This is how you get your kids to eat normal, healthy meals without throwing a fit, while planning meals together in advance.

3. Make The Same Meal For The Entire Family

Instead of cooking separate meals for your second grader and the rest of the family, make the same dish, but family style. This will let your kids pick and choose what they like about normal dishes and broaden their approach to different foods as well. This is how healthy eating habits develop and fussy eaters blossom into healthy ones. 

4. Make Healthy Eating Fun

It is important to make healthy eating more fun than other foods. Else why would any kid opt for a healthier alternative to their favorite food? Try to be creative and give different kinds of healthy preparations of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean meat, legumes, and dairy at home. If your child loves rolls, make them spinach wraps or egg wraps, if they adore chips, try making air-fried vegetable ones at home. Also, remember that presentation and naming is key for second graders as it can make or break their approval. 

5. Be A Good Role Model

Be a good role model for your kids as children do not learn from you. They copy you. Therefore, if you want your kid to ditch their unhealthy habits and eat clean, you must do the same. Also, kids view fruits and vegetables the same way as burgers and pizzas, it is the fast-food taste and the influence of their parent’s attitude and approach that forms their taste. If you make a disgusted face on seeing vegetables, your kids are most likely to do the same. 

6. Introduce Them To Cooking

Introduce your children gradually to cooking. Not only is it an important healthy habit few adults possess nowadays, but it is a crucial one that must be taught to your kids. Teach your children the names of different fruits and vegetables as well as the vitamins and minerals they possess, as your kids are far more likely to learn things when they are having fun and bonding with you. Also, children are always likely to try what they have prepared, even if it is half-burned toast with egg. Try introducing them to cooking and healthy eating with cold-cut sandwiches, overnight oats, vegetable pinwheels, and salads, as they are easy and made without heat.

7. Plan Games And Rewards With Healthy Eating

Try to plan games around nutrition. Play memory games with the names of vitamins and minerals or ask your kid to randomly pick five nutrients and make a meal out of ingredients rich in them. This way, not only do your kids learn nutrition from an early age but also develop a healthy food palette and a healthy approach to fruits, vegetables, and whole foods. 

Conclusion 

Healthy eating might be easier said than done, but it does not mean it is impossible. It simply requires some extra attention and patience on your part. Also, try to be casual about food and not force them, as it can offer have the opposite effect on second graders, causing them to resist and kick up a fuss. Follow these simple tricks and tips to get your second grader easily into healthy eating.