3 Important Lessons Mamas Can Teach Their Kids About Healthy Eating
One of the best things I ever taught my kids was how to build a healthy meal. When they were young I started learning about macronutrients and how to build healthy meals and I immediately started teaching my kids what I was learning because I knew that if they had this information it could change their lives.
When I think back to my days as a high school and college athlete trying to fuel my body with top ramen, McDonald’s, and soda I shudder. I had no idea what I was doing. I didn’t understand what my body needed during those long hours of training. And I thought as long as I looked good it didn’t matter what I ate.
But I didn’t realize that even though my weight was ok, I was showing signs of poor nutrition. I didn’t have energy unless I was hopped up on caffeine. I was always sore and struggled to recover after long training days and games.
And then the weight gain caught up with me. The second I was done playing sports in college I started struggling with my weight. It took me almost a decade and tons of quick-fix diets that never worked to figure out how to eat healthily.
Which is why I started teaching my kids while they were young. I didn’t want them to have to struggle like I did.
But what I didn’t realize was that teaching them about nutrition and how to properly plan balanced meals would pay off right now, while they’re still at home!
Because they know how to structure a meal they’re able to help me plan and prepare meals. They can grab themselves healthy snacks. They understand when to enjoy a treat and when to eat whole foods to fuel their bodies.
Because this has been so amazing for my family, I wanted to help you teach your kiddos, no matter their age, so that your kids can be set up for a healthy life.
This is the simple method I used when teaching my kiddos about nutrition.
Teach your kids about macronutrients
Before we dive too deep into this, I want to say that your kids do not need to track their macros. My thirteen-year-old is trying to bulk up for sports and while I have an idea of how much he needs to eat to bulk, I do not have him weigh his food or track it meticulously. Kids can learn this skill without weighing or tracking their food.
What they do need to know is what macros are and how to use them to their advantage.
All food is made up of 3 macronutrients: protein, fat and carbs. All of these nutrients are necessary for life. You should not be cutting any of them out completely or it will cause health problems, this is especially true for kids!
By understanding what macros do, you can also leverage them to reach your goals.
For kids, their goals aren’t necessarily going to be weight related, but activity related.
For example, if your kids are athletes they need to know how to fuel themselves for practices and games and how to help their muscles recover.
If your kids have a big test coming up, they need to know how to fuel their brains to do their best work.
And that’s where macronutrients come in!
Carbohydrates: For energy
Carbohydrates play an important role in our bodies. Carbs are used as our first form of fuel. They also play an important role in cognitive function and mental clarity. Which makes carbs essential for kids!
Whether your kids are at school or doing after-school activities they need carbs!
A lot of parents try to limit their kids’ carbs because they appear to be carb-o-holics. Some kids do tend to eat more carbs than other macronutrients, but it’s important not to teach your kids that carbs are bad. Because like I said before, carbs are essential for life!
Instead of teaching kids that carbs are bad, I encourage my kids to eat better-for-you carbs and to pair them with fats or protein to keep them full!
Better-for-you carbs are going to be complex carbs: whole grains, fruit, veggies, etc. What I look at in a better-for-you carb is higher fiber. Fiber is important for digestion, gut health, blood sugar and heart health. I like to encourage my kids to grab complex carbs first and then they can have more processed or fun carbs.
One thing to be aware of is that too much fiber can cause just as many issues as too little fiber! Teach your kids to pay attention to their bodies, especially bowel movements so you can see if they’re getting too much or too little fiber. Constipation, bloating and diarrhea are all symptoms of too much fiber.
When I’m teaching my kids about healthy carbs, I like to give them a lot of examples of what that looks like. I have a great downloadable for you that has lists of healthy foods that you can print out and hang in your pantry so that it’s easy for your kiddos to get ideas on what to eat. It’s inside my free Facebook group, Busy Mom Simple Nutrition. Join the group to grab it!
In the meantime, here are a few of my favorite carb-based snacks for kids:
Fresh or frozen fruits
Popcorn
No-bake energy balls - make these up ahead of time and keep them in the fridge or freezer for a quick snack!
Toast - I love Dave’s Killer Bread, they even have a delicious white bread that kids will like!
Hummus with pretzel thins or veggies!
Protein: For recovery & growth
Next up is protein! Protein helps repair and build muscle and tissues. It is vital for healthy hair, skin and nails. Protein even supports the immune system and wards off illness. Long story short, our kids need protein!
Studies have shown that 1 in 7 school-aged children aren’t getting enough protein in their diets. Mama, if you want to set your kid up for a healthy life, start teaching them about protein and making sure they have some at every meal and snack!
Protein can be harder to get kids to eat because it’s not a craveable macronutrient. Just think about your own diet! Are you eating protein all the time? Probably not! But when you know better you can do better!
I always start my meal plans with protein. This is such a simple way to make sure protein is included! Instead of saying “I’m having pasta for dinner” I say “I’m having grilled chicken for dinner with pasta.” When you think of protein first, it becomes a habit to include it in your meals. Plus, when you teach your kiddos to plan meals this way, it sets up a great habit!
One of my clients, always makes sure her kids have protein at snack time by pairing it with the carb or fat treat her kids want. So, if they want a bag of chips she’ll say, “Sure! But what protein are you having with that?” Her kids have started coming to her asking for a snack and telling her that they already ate protein!
Here are a few easy protein snacks that you can start incorporating into your kids’ diets.
Hard-boiled eggs
Yogurt - Greek yogurt has the highest protein levels and is usually lower in sugar!
Edamame
Deli meats - roll them up with cheese or veggies
Bacon
Beef jerky
Fat snacks: For growing bodies
Fats are another important nutrient to help our little ones grow up strong. Fats are key in developing the eyes, brains and cell membranes; they also help with vitamin absorption.
Please, please don’t restrict healthy, unsaturated fats from your kids’ diets. Fats play such an important role in growing bodies that we can seriously hurt our kids if we don’t allow them to eat fats.
Now, don’t get me wrong, we should be teaching our kids the difference between healthy and unhealthy fats. Deep-fried foods will be dripping in fats, but they aren’t going to give our kids the nutrients they need.
Encourage your kids to get fats from whole foods. Make sure that the oils you cook with also come from whole foods: olive oil, coconut oil and avocado oil are great options.
Fat also plays an important role in hormonal health, especially for developing girls and women. So please, please don’t teach your daughters that fat is bad! It’s not! Let’s stop that misinformation and instead focus on eating fat in the right amount.
Here are a few great sources of healthy fats:
Seeds - Sunflower seeds are great, or you can add chia seeds in their yogurts or smoothies
Avocados
Olives
Cheeses
Dark chocolate
Hydration:
The last thing I want to talk to you about is hydration. Hydration is so important for kids because it contributes to development, immune health, performance and brain function! Kids spend a surprising amount of time being mildly dehydrated!
To avoid dehydration and help your kids develop healthy bodies and brains, here’s a quick breakdown of how much water each age group needs.
Infants get the water and nutrients they need from milk, so you don’t need to give them any extra water.
Toddlers and preschoolers need around 16-40 oz of water a day, in addition to milk! You don’t necessarily need to be measuring their water, but make sure that you offer milk or water over juice and sodas.
School-aged kids need between 40-64 oz of water daily. Around age 13, kids can start drinking 64+ oz of water daily. This can also increase based on your kids’ activity levels and the weather. Make sure that your kids drink more water before physical activity and after!
To help your kiddos get enough water always send them to school with a water bottle; offer electrolytes after sports; encourage them to eat fruit that has natural water and electrolytes throughout the day; and get them in the habit of bringing a water bottle wherever they go!
When you teach your kids what the purpose of their food is and how to make smart choices, they’ll be able to reach higher levels and you’ll set them up for success later in life.
I always say more is caught than taught. If you want your kiddos to pick up these habits and lead healthy lives then you have to model that for them.
You need to show them that even as an adult you make smart, nutritious choices. You need to show them that yo-yo dieting or fad diets don’t achieve long-term results.
And if you aren’t sure how to lead the healthy life you want for them, then it’s time to invest in nutritional education.
For the past decade, I've assisted numerous women in shedding 40 to 65 lbs without resorting to shakes, pills, shots, or sacrificing their love for food all while letting go of food shame and guilt while helping them achieve their weight loss goals.
If you want that for yourself and your family, then let’s talk. Schedule a free Healthy Mama Blueprint call and we can talk about where you’re at, what your goals are and how learning about your nutrition can help you achieve them.
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