Starting good eating habits early is critical. There is no other way to put it. Obesity in children aged 2-5 in the United States sits at 13.4%. By the teenage years it has increased to 21.2%. By adulthood it has climbed to 42.4%. And obesity continues to increase. The costs from a healthcare perspective are staggering. As we are all aware, changing habits – whether positive or negative – is hard to do. With this in mind, it is generally better to form good habits early rather than attempting to change them later. At Greystone House, we focus on proper nutrition from the earliest ages. What follows are some tips from what we have learned over the past 35+ years.

– The taste for sweets is deeply ingrained in human beings and moderation can be difficult – particularly if exposure is frequent and early. Start infants on vegetable-based baby foods rather than fruit based foods (or mixtures of fruits and veggies). If there is a treat to be had, ensure that it has some extra value from a dietary perspective. Yogurt bites beat a sugary cereal any day. Thankfully, we have seen the baby food industry shifting toward healthier foods across the board, so this is easier than ever to do.

– Limit or eliminate cereal from the breakfast table. Not all cereals are bad, and many children’ cereals have reduced sugar content significantly, but there are better choices to be had and a diverse selection at the first meal is a positive message. Sausages (including vegetarian sausage), eggs, fresh fruits with low glycemic loads, and healthy yogurts all offer a great start to the day. We have you covered at Greystone House as cereal is a relative rarity.

– Avoid fast food. Whether McDonald’s or Chick-fil-a, these convenience stops feature foods packed with fat, salt, and bad carbs. They are also frequently oriented toward making themselves extremely attractive to young children. Many dishes at these restaurants have more sodium in a single serving than the American Heart Association recommends in an adult diet for an entire day. And that is before you pour a salty soft drink down the hatch. While these restaurants offer healthier fare, don’t kid yourself if you aren’t seeking those items out and limiting your child to them.

– Look into healthy snacks. There is nothing wrong with snacks. Eating more small meals is useful and keeps away the hunger pangs that can cause us to lose control and pig out. There are an incredible array of healthy snacks available that are filling and tasty. This is a development we would have loved to see 40 years ago, but we are simply happy that we now have good options as adults.

– Deliver the message that treats are just that – a treat for a special occasion. Birthday cake is for birthdays. Ice cream is for parties and really hot summer days when you have been exercising. Candy is for Halloween and your October haul should last you all year for the occasional treat. If your child is asking for bad food on a regular basis then there is never a better time than now to take corrective action.

– This is one you might not like – but if you are going to stay on message you have to be the message. Stocking the freezer with Blue Bell is good for the economy in Brenham, but it is hard to stay straight faced when you say no to every request for sweets from your child. More than anything else you can do as a parent, the example you set will speak much louder than any words you say.

– Don’t mix food up with body type and image. In my own family half of the people are 6 and a half feet tall and weigh next to nothing (see Mr. Max for details) and the other half are 5 feet tall and approach 200 pounds. There are genetic factors in play at both ends of the spectrum. Our message has always been the same to our own children – “As long as you are eating right and doing healthy things, what you look like is irrelevant”. Accepting who you are – regardless of body shape – is a lot easier if you know you are doing the right things day in and day out.

Start those healthy habits early. If you want the info – we are happy to share our menu with parents and can even give you an idea of what your child loves most. We have a 10-year-old Greystone House graduate in the family that is curry crazy and will choose it over a burger any day. If we hadn’t have been there every day with her we may never have known. We are around, just ask.