Ohio Department of Health Ohio.gov

Good Eating Habits

We all have hundreds of habits. Habits are things we do without even thinking about them. We have a lot of eating habits, too. Some of them we learned when we were kids, just like your child is learning right now. Some eating habits are good and some are not so good. What are the best ones for your child to be learning?

Top Ten Eating Habits for Your Child

  1. Start each day with a good breakfast.
  2. Have at least three meals a day.
  3. Drink milk with meals.
  4. Enjoy family meals when possible.
  5. Chew food well.
  6. Eat until full, then stop eating.
  7. Eat lots of vegetables and fruits.
  8. Snack on healthy food, not junk food.
  9. Drink soft drinks only once in a while.
  10. Brush teeth or rinse after eating.

More Good Eating Habits

Your child also learns habits of HOW to eat. They learn how you expect them to eat by:

  • What you do.
  • What you say.
  • What your rules are.

Here are some rules that can cut down on choking. They also teach good table manners.

  • Sit down when you eat.
  • Don’t chew and talk at the same time.
  • Take small bites.
  • Chew your food well.

So, eating habits are habits of:

  • What you eat.
  • How you eat.
  • How much you eat.
  • How often you eat.

Give your child a good start in life by helping make those eating habits healthy ones.

This page last updated on 3/06/08.