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The quality of food you give your child does have an effect to his or her lifelong wellness. This is especially crucial in early childhood, when you pick the food for him and lead the path towards chronic disease or good health.

The challenge for you as a parent, however, is to deviate from the current Standard American Diet (SAD), which is high in processed foods, animal fats and unhealthy fats but shockingly low in fiber and plant-based foods. Building a solid dietary foundation that is based on nutrient-rich whole foods such as fruits and vegetables for your child is important.

But if you think that preparing a whole-food diet without added chemicals and artificial ingredients for your kid seems impossible, naturopath doctors like Colleen Huber believe otherwise. Consider these suggestions from Huber:

1. Start early by breastfeeding your child. “Breast-fed kids have huge lifetime health advantages over formula-fed babies. You will never again have the opportunity to make a strong health impact in such a short amount of time, and for less effort and expense than formula feeding,” says Huber.
    
2. Whole foods such as vegetables (cooked squash, broccoli, carrot and the like) and fruits (banana, avocado and watermelon) should be the first solid foods that your child eats.
    
3. Help keep your kids off watching TV as it “teaches a processed food and pharmaceutical lifestyle.”
    
4. Do not store junk food in your house. When you’re in the supermarket, shop only for unprocessed, unrefined foods instead of hotdogs, chocolate bars, potato chips, and etc.
    
5. Explain to your children the importance of having a healthy lifestyle.

In addition to these practical tips, natural health expert Dr. Joseph Mercola recommends supplementing a child’s diet with omega-3 fats from krill oil. Omega-3 fats have been proven to support his optimal brain development and to improve his ability to handle stress.

Also, Dr. Mercola adds that getting some exercise and fresh air can do wonders for a child’s mental health and serves as a healthy alternative over sitting inside the house watching TV or playing video games.

Want to know more health tips for children? Check this site for other useful articles.

Related Links:

Raising a Whole Food Child in a Processed Food World
Why Eating Whole Foods is Far Better than Taking a Supplement

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