Today children are inundated with poor food options. From chicken nuggets to processed treats, its all readily available and marketed to the hilt. One of the worst culprits is school lunch. School cafeterias often don’t have a single ‘from scratch’ option made without preservatives and chemicals. Where are the fruits and vegetables that are supposed to make up the largest portion of the daily intake? And ketchup is NOT a vegetable!

Educating children about healthy eating is critical. There is much we can do to promote fresh, healthy, delicious food. It is essential to change children’s relationship to food so that they understand that what they put into their bodies effects how their bodies feel and perform.

Here is a 20 minute talk by Ann Cooper, the renegade lunch lady, who is passionate about changing what kids eat for lunch. She promotes a local, sustainable, seasonal and educational diet.

There are numerous ways to change how children relate to food. Here are a few suggestions

• Teach proper nutrition- develop awareness for the food groups, portion size, and label reading
• Involve kids in the kitchen - even the smaller kids can help in the kitchen, get them involved and empower them with life long skills
• Eat together – studies show famlies that eat together have better health habits
• Grow your own food – even a small garden can grow fresh produce for the table
• Appreciate the body - learning basic anatomy develops an appreciation for and awareness of the body, its systems, and how to care for it with proper nutrition

Other articles with a focus on improving the health and nutrition of children include:

• Food Issues — Karmaspot’s Blog
• Kids are Eating a Wheelbarrow full of Sugar  — Young Yoga Masters
• Food, Mood, Behavior and Learning — The Kids Yoga Resource 
• Yoga Can Help Diminish Childhood & Teen Obesity — Shanti Generation Blog
• Eating Local Tips for Busy Moms on a Budget — The PranaMama
• Watermelon Pose — Alluem Kids

If you have a related article or website please post a link in the comments.

Together we can make a difference. This is something we are completely in control of, so get involved, make an effort, take the time.

Over the next couple of months I’ll be ellaborating on ways to change how children relate to food so be sure to subscribe by RSS or e-mail.

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