How to avoid junk food
- Many mothers say they cannot get their children to eat anything other than junk food. Remember that it can take up to ten tastes before a new food or dish is accepted by young children. So, as long as you keep getting them to taste new foods, you are on the right track.
- Make changes gradually – this will allow a chance for taste buds to adapt and increase your chances of success.
- Make healthy eating a fun challenge for the whole family. Praise any progress that is made, however small. Get children to read the ingredients list on everything that they eat. Soon they will become quicker at pointing out the additives, sugar, fat and salt percentages than you are.
- Don’t insist that certain foods or dishes should be eaten because they are healthy. That’s a guaranteed turn off for kids. Rather encourage an interest in good food and nutrition in general. Never blanket ban certain foods, but come up with acceptable compromises.
- Don’t run a restaurant at home by giving children the choice of several different meals. Serve one meal for the family and if they don’t want to eat it, that’s fine, but don’t offer alternatives. Avoid buying junk food so that it is not available as a tempting alternative.
- Try to avoid using junk foods as rewards or special treats. This sets up a hormonal pathway in the brain which strongly associates junk food with pleasurable feelings. This reinforces the development of cravings for such food. Keep a selection of healthy snacks to offer as treats like dried fruit, nuts, pure fruit juice ice lollies. Or offer a non-food reward like reading a story
- Involve your children in cooking activities. This provides a great opportunity for them to learn new skills as well as build an interest in new tastes and good food.
- Help make your children’s schools aware of the problem. Campaign with other parents to change tuck shop and vending machine policies.
- Limit the amount of pocket money directly available for the purchase of junk food. A quarter of kids in Britain eat chips and chocolate for breakfast on the way to school!
Encourage discrimination and scepticism with regard to advertising, especially on the TV. Explain what advertisers are trying to do, and that all they are interested in is making money. Educate your children about the health risks of junk foods.