You know the old saying, “You are what you eat.” But I also think it could be said that our children are what we eat. In other words, our eating habits are transferred down to them.
I was recently reading an article about the “10 Bad Eating Habits Parents Often Teach their Kids” and came to a realization about something. I have gotten slack in this department.
When they were younger, I had a lot more control over what they ate. I leaned toward healthier choices and because that was what I purchased, it was what I ate as well.
But I have noticed that as my children have gotten older, it’s become much too relaxed. Besides, life sometimes keeps us so busy that we don’t have the time to cook those healthier meals.
Actually, that is something I have really been working on this year. One of my goals has been to provide a healthy, hot meal as many days of the week as I can.
One way I have been able to do this is during a particularly busy season (such as now with my son being in track); I make a lot of meals in my crock pot. This way I can get it started in the morning, let it do its thing and then have it ready later on.
But I have also been trying to do a better job at making healthier snack choices available. What I notice is that if I have a bowl of bananas, apples and oranges on the counter but inside the cabinet I have Little Debbie Nutty Bars, they will always go for the nutty bars.
With my children being teens, they tend to lean toward the sugary, salty stuff. But even though I can’t always control what they eat, I can do a better job at being a positive example.
Are there some changes you need to make in your home when it comes to eating habits?
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