Nanny to Mommy

Your children's diet plays an important role in supporting them as they grow and develop. Food impacts people in a variety of ways, from the strength of their bones to their mental health.

A healthy diet is a balanced one filled with lots of essential nutrients. To get the best out of a diet, every meal should include a variety of foods from different groups. Some of the most important food groups are fruit, vegetables, whole grains, beans, lentils, lean meat, fish, nuts, and seeds. Your children should avoid an excessive amount of sugar, sweets, and fats.

Unfortunately, not all children are open to trying a variety of foods and it can be difficult to get them to eat a colorful plate. This is where you may have to get creative and make meals tasty or hide the vegetables in meals they do like. Some of the most enjoyable ways to encourage children to eat food can be through using spices on the vegetables and creating a side such as grilled green beans, alternatively, you can make delicious tasting soups, which conceals the contents.

It can also be helpful to educate your children on the importance of eating a healthy diet. This may help them understand why they are asked to eat their vegetables, and the positive impact they can have. This will also help as they grow older and become more independent. You want them to be open to trying new foods and choose to put vegetables on their plates.

To help you and your children, here are some of the most important reasons why you and your children need to eat a healthy diet.

Staying hydrated, eating good food, and eating regularly have a major impact on your children's mood. This is because if you don’t eat the right foods, your body is going to be deficient in important nutrients that enable the body to function properly and regulate hormones and therefore, their moods. There are also a variety of foods that will spike your blood sugar levels and make you feel anxious, decrease your ability to think clearly and concentrate, make you feel stressed, interrupt your sleeping patterns, and much more. Not eating regularly can lower your blood sugar levels and make you feel irritable and tired. This can have a huge knock-on effect on your children's mental health.

By opting to have a healthy diet, you can help your children experience better moods, more energy, less stress, and better sleep.

Food is fuel for your body. Children spend a lot of time running around and being active, so it is even more important that their bodies are sufficiently fueled. Your children's bodies are also going to be growing at a fast rate, so they need the correct energy and nutrients to ensure this goes ahead as planned. Food can support your children's physical growth, by building bones and supplying their bodily functions with the right minerals and vitamins to survive and thrive.

The brain is an important part of the human body as it acts as the command center and ensures everything runs smoothly. Maintaining a healthy brain is important for good mental health, physical growth, memory, emotions, motor skills, and much more. Food also fuels the brain. A nutritious diet can help positively increase brain development in children, make sure it reaches optimal size and function and reduce the risk of developing any serious brain conditions. Children's brains are extremely sensitive, so it is vital to ensure they receive sufficient nutrition, as this will impact their future.

Many health conditions can stem from a poor diet. A poor diet can leave the body malnourished, which can leave it in a state of stress. This creates complete chaos within the body, and unfortunately, is not able to function correctly. This can lead to many chronic conditions and increase the risk of heart problems. A bad diet can also increase the risk of bad cholesterol in the body, which can put you at risk of heart disease, stroke, diabetes, high blood pressure, and a range of other problems. A poor diet can also lead to an increased risk of obesity.

Diet is a key part of the development of growing children. It can impact their mood, their health, and their development. Make sure they are encouraged to eat a variety of healthy foods. You should also ensure you play a good role model, so your whole family can live healthier, happier lives.