The problem with junk food is that it’s everywhere. If your kids are old enough to spend any part of their day without you (at school, at some activity, a few hours home alone, etc.) there’s a good chance they can access it. They even stock it in the vending machines at school!

Nutrition, of course, is tremendously important, so as parents it’s our job to limit the sugary, carb-loaded snacks that surround us in favor of more effective foods. Here are some ways you can get your kids to kick the junk food habit.

1. Don’t bring it home

Remember that you get to decide which foods enter your home. Don’t let your children brow-beat you into buying their junk snacks. Be firm with your shopping list. At first they’ll probably refuse to eat the healthy snacks you bring home, but they’ll come around eventually.

2. Fill them up first

If you think your kids will be somewhere that junk food is readily available, fill their bellies with healthy stuff before they have the opportunity. They’ll be less inclined to nosh on that tray of cookies if they have a tummy full of fruits and vegetables.

3. Pack a lunch instead of sending money

These days, schools operate like mini food courts; kids have a lot of options instead of the standard school lunch. If you send them to school with money, they can spend it on anything they like, including unhealthy stuff. Pack a lunch so you can be sure of what they’re eating.

4. Set a good example

There’s no stronger lesson than a good example. You can tell your kids to eat healthy until you’re blue in the face, but it will be meaningless if you don’t show them how. Keep the junk out of the house so you won’t be tempted either.

5. Make meals interesting

Just because you’re eating healthy doesn’t mean you have to give up flavor. Healthy foods have tons of flavors if you prepare them properly. Sure, your kids will miss that easy sugar, but you’ll open their world to so many new flavor experiences.

6. Talk it out with them

You’d be surprised how much kids understand some times. Have an age-appropriate conversation with each your kids about the importance of eating healthy foods. You might have to skip terms like “complex carbohydrate” and “antioxidant,” but you can impart the importance of protecting our bodies from harmful foods.

7. Don’t ban junk food

Tasty (albeit unhealthy) foods have their place. Teach good moderation. Let your kids enjoy them from time to time. If you ban them outright, it will make your kids crave them more.

8. Don’t use junk food as a reward

When you use something as a reward, you make it more appealing. Even though they’ll repeat the good behaviors you desire, they’ll still seek out junk food in other ways because they associate it with the reward.

Written by Alicia Overby - Founder & President of Baby Elephant Ears

Alicia is wife, mother, and creator of Baby Elephant Ears. Baby Elephant Ears was created out of parental concern, not financial desire. In 2005, when their second child was an infant, he cried all the time and just couldn't seem to get comfortable.

After seeking advice and suggestion from the medical community and alternative medicine, they eventually ended up in the chiropractors office where their baby was successfully treated for asubluxation, discomfort most likely the result of the strain during labor, which was now being exacerbated by the normal lack of infant neck strength. Only proper neck, head, and back alignment would offer him relief. When they couldn't find a product to give their baby the necessary support, Alicia took matters into her own hands and crafted her own infant support pillow. The first Baby Elephant Ears was born!

For more information, visit www.babyelephantears.com.

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