Healthy eating for kids doesn’t have to be difficult. All you really need to do is find better alternatives to the junk food that they see advertised everywhere they look. Children need good nutrition to grow up healthy and strong. A steady diet of junk food will not provide them with the nutrition they need.

The first step to healthy eating for kids is to have lots of good tasting, healthy food for them to eat at home. Make it easy for them to choose healthy food at home. Stop buying all the over processed, sugar and salt laden snacks and replace them with healthy choices like apples and bananas, low-fat yogurt, or celery with peanut butter. Carrots sticks and colorful sliced peppers with a little low-fat ranch dressing are easy to prepare and have ready to go in the fridge. Whole grain crackers and cheese or whole grain baked crisps are a far better choice than potato chips and other fried snacks. Switch your bread and cereals to whole grain products. Children should have 4-6 servings of whole grains per day and bread and cereal are good ways to get them. Sugary drinks should be saved for special occasions. Children should drink low-fat milk and lots of water. The sooner you start the program of healthy eating for kids the sooner they will learn lifelong habits of healthy eating.

Family meals are an important part of healthy eating for kids. They are a comforting ritual for both parents and kids. It is a good time to get caught up on how every one’s day went and introduce kids to new foods. It’s also a good time for parents to be good role models and eat healthy food too. Try to have dinner at approximately the same time each day so kids won’t snack too late in the afternoon. Breakfast is a good time for a family meal as well. It’s the most important meal of the day and children who eat a healthy breakfast trend to do better in school.

You’re not going to be able to eliminate junk food from your children’s diet altogether. The aim is to have them in the habit of reaching for healthy foods because it the normal thing for them to do. If you establish good eating habits for your family you will be well on your way to healthy eating for your kids.