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Making healthy choices for yourself is one of the best things you can do as a parent. Children learn a lot by watching their parents, so when you exercise and eat a balanced diet, your child is more likely to do the same.
There are many benefits to living a healthy lifestyle. Children who eat right and keep active:
- do better at school
- have a healthier body weight
- feel happier
- have more energy
- build habits for lifelong good health
Nutrition
While you decide what foods to offer, your child will decide how much food they want to eat. It is common for kids to eat more at one meal than another, or eat more food one day and less the next. This is normal. The important thing is to offer regular meals and snacks every day.
To help ensure your child has a well-balanced diet, keep a variety of healthy food choices from all food groups at home. It is okay to include treats once in a while, but never as a reward and not always as dessert. If you give your child too much of these easy-to-like foods, your child is likely to fill up on them and not want to eat healthier foods. Having meals together as a family is a great way to bond with your kids and model healthy eating habits.
If are worried about your child's nutrition or growth, ask your doctor to send you to a Registered Dietitian for tips on how to improve his or her eating habits.
Learn more about our Infant and Toddler Feeding groups on our groups page.
Activity
It is important to encourage your child to be active every day. Limit all screen time (TV, computer, video games) to no more than one to two hours each day. Plan to do things together, such as regular family walks, chores or other physical exercise. Most children need at least 60 to 90 minutes of activity every day for good health.
See Canada's Physical Activity Guidelines for children and youth.
You can also use tools and calculators to find out how healthy your child's eating habits are and for ways to improve eating habits and physical activity.