The vast majority of children across the country fail to eat their required daily amounts of fruits and vegetables. Around 6 in 10 children didn’t consume enough fruit from 2007 to 2010, while 9 in 10 did not eat enough vegetables during the same time frame, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Of the vegetables children did eat, one-third were white potatoes, where 63 percent were eaten were in the form of chips, fries or fried foods.
While fruit consumption increased from 2003 to 2010, the number of children eating fresh vegetables remained constant during this time, despite federal and statewide pushes for schools to encourage healthy eating habits. If you want to keep your children eating healthy, but are busy with work or other activities, it can be difficult to prepare substantial, home-cooked meals every day. As a result, many parents who wanted to free themselves from time-consuming meal planning, groceries buying and cooking, have enlisted the beneficial help of a personal chef.
Helping your children eat more fruits and vegetables
Let’s face it – getting children to eat healthy is hard. Children are notorious for being picky eaters – preferring chicken nuggets to chicken curry – which can make weekly meal planning an arduous process. With a personal chef, you don’t have to resort to unhealthy take out or wasting valuable time preparing meals that your children refuse to eat. Instead, your chef will take time to learn your family’s specific preferences and needs and artfully prepare dishes that even the pickiest eater will love.
As many personal chefs prepare meals from scratch, you and your children no longer have to rely on heavily processed ingredients and can consume more fruits, vegetables, healthy grains and other essential nutrients. Instead of ordering greasy take out or fast food, your personal chef can craft tasty meals with fresh ingredients at a fraction of the fat content and calories.
For example, if your children love pizza, your personal chef can make hand-crafted personal pizzas with a whole grain crust, fresh cheese, home made tomato sauce and top it with tasty vegetables and proteins. This way, they can still enjoy the foods they love, while still consuming the vital nutrients they need to grow and develop.
While your personal chef can make healthy meals, it is up to you as a parent to be a model of good behavior. If you continue to eat unhealthy, your children will follow suit. Therefore, eat together as a family when you can, to show them that you love these healthy meals and so can they!
Helping your children who suffer from severe allergies eat better
While getting your children to eat essential nutrients is important, so is keeping them safe from harm. Around 1 in every 13 children suffers from at least one food allergy, according to Food Allergy Research and Education, ranging from mild to deadly in terms of seriousness. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that the number of children with food allergies has risen dramatically by 50 percent from 1997 to 2011. The precise reason for this phenomenon is still uncertain.
If you, like millions of parents across the country, want your children to eat healthy, but are struggling because they are limited by certain allergies, hiring a personal chef can relieve you of this burden. Personal chefs will not only cook you healthy meals, but they can tailor their menu to suit your family’s specific dietary needs. Are you eliminating gluten from your diet for healthy concerns? Are you children allergic to dairy? This is not a problem. Keep your children safe by hiring a personal chef.
When hiring a personal chef, turn to a domestic staffing agency you can trust. At Colonial Domestic, we put your wants, needs and safety concerns first, through finding and providing the most trustworthy and talented personal chefs in the area. Begin eating healthy by contacting Colonial Domestic today!