Healthy eating is essential in your Tiger Cubs’ holistic development. Here’s how parents and other grown-ups can help kids develop good eating habits.
Everyone knows how much I love eating! I even learnt how to cook for myself in one of our videos (Watch it on YouTube here)! Just like me, your kids also need to eat healthy foods to grow strong, bright, and full of energy. For this reason, developing positive eating habits for Tiger Cubs is essential for their development. Much like the Tiger and Tim videos for kids, eating healthy can also be fun for everyone in the family. Here’s how you can help your kids develop healthy eating habits.
- Have regular family meals
Eating together as a family is a great bonding activity (much like watching Tiger and Tim funny videos for kids!). It is also a good way for your Tiger Cubs to develop healthy eating habits with your guidance, as they can see you eat. They can also begin to associate mealtimes as a positive experience when you eat together.
Do you know what I love most about eating with Tim? He always lets me have the last bite off his plate!
- Variety is key
Another way to help kids develop healthy eating habits is through serving a variety of healthy foods and snacks. It will be easier for you to put vegetables and fruits in the mix with a varied menu. It will also be an excellent way for your kids to develop their palettes and know what kinds of food they love to eat.
Try to limit sweets and processed foods and always have yummy healthy options for the whole family. Keeping a varied menu for the family can be tricky, especially with picky kids, but there are several recipe videos online that can help you plan easily.
- Be a role model
Kids look up to the grown-ups at home in many ways, including the adults’ eating habits. If you want your Tiger Cubs to develop healthy eating habits, then mum, dad, and the other grown-ups at home should act as a role model for them.
Young children are very impressionable. Seeing you eat healthy foods is the first step in helping them love eating healthily as well. Seeing you have fun while eating healthy food is great for kids to develop healthy eating habits. Videos about eating vegetables and fruits (like Tiger and Tim *ahem*) can also positively influence your Tiger Cubs.
- Let kids in
Another way to develop healthy eating habits among your Tiger Cubs is to let them have a say in what they eat. Involve them in the process of planning, shopping, or cooking to make them feel part of the family. Involving your children can also be a great way to spend some quality time together, and they can learn a lot from you just by doing so. Planning with your kids can also be a great way to teach them about nutrition. Let them watch videos on YouTube Kids about planning and eating healthy meals, too!
- Keep it colourful
Kids eat with their eyes (just like me!). Anything colourful looks attractive and appetizing for them. One way to make them eat and love healthy foods is to keep their plates exciting. Put a variety of colours from different vegetables and fruits to keep them engaged (and full, too!).
If you’re feeling creative, try making them fun bento lunches full of different colours and shapes that are healthy and yummy! There are many videos online that will teach you how to make fun bento boxes for kids.
- Watch out for overeating and undereating
Young kids don’t always have the best control of their appetites. Some children tend to overeat (yup, can relate!), especially if you serve them their favourite meal. While it can be fun to indulge our Tiger Cubs, overeating can have adverse effects on their eating habits. If your child tends to overeat, offer them smaller portions and let them finish those first before giving them another one. Using a smaller plate can also do the trick.
On the other hand, some kids tend to undereat. If that is the case, serve small amounts of food during snack times to encourage them to eat during mealtimes. Avoid giving heavy snacks near mealtimes, as well. You can also watch educational videos for kids or nursery rhymes that promote healthy eating habits during mealtimes to reinforce the habit.
Mealtimes are a fun and positive way to bond with your Tiger Cubs. Serving them healthy foods and helping them develop healthy eating habits is something they would carry with them as they grow older.
There you have it, cool cats! I hope you’ll enjoy your next family meal with your young ones. After supper, gather the entire family and watch the latest episode of Tiger and Tim on YouTube Kids and our other streaming partners.
Tiger xoxoxo