More children are being reported to be obese and it is a worrying cause of health issues now more than ever. However, there has been a lot of change in the habits of our children. More focus on sitting down with a phone or a tablet and less on being active. More convenience food is there and children are becoming increasingly picky eaters.

Lifestyles have changed and so have attitudes, but there are things we can do to ensure that our children are more fit and healthy and reduce the outbreak of obesity. I wanted to share with you some of the points that you could consider with your children, now or in the future. 

Getting them to eat healthier food or a balanced diet

It can be increasingly difficult to get your children to eat a healthier diet. They are now pickier than ever and seem to know what is good for them and what is bad, yet will still prefer chocolate, sugar, and junk over vegetables. However, if you do cook from scratch, you can sneakily hide vegetables in pasta sauces by blitzing them together once cooked. There are many recipes online that can help you do this. 

You might also want to consider getting outside and growing your own food in your garden. Allow your children to be involved with the process so they can learn where the food has come from. If they have had involvement they will be more encouraged to try new foods.

Sometimes you need to lead by example. Eating together can be a great motivator for children to try more foods and be more experimental. Plus, we can often go-to convenience foods or snacks and give in to children’s demands, and often, just having more of a stance on the word no could help you in the future. Although it won’t seem like it at the time. 

Encouraging Children to be more active

Getting your children to be more active has become increasingly difficult in recent years due to the sheer advancement of technology like tablets and smartphones. However, encouraging your child to get outside more often could be the key to reigniting their love of the great outdoors. A new bike or scooter could be a great incentive, as well as doing things as a family like a bike ride or just a hike in the woods. 

You might also want to think about other things children can enjoy outside. Now that the weather is nicer you can spend more time outside, maybe going to your local swimming pool or encouraging your children to join sports teams. It not only gives them a chance to exercise, but another social environment to make new friends and learn something new. 

While it may be difficult to incorporate such big changes into your child’s life, it can be a gradual process and it starts with routine. Implement the changes, follow them yourself, and you will soon find that your children will slot into their new lifestyle.