It will not be a surprise to you if you were told that over one-third of US children and teens eat fast food daily. There are many reasons fast food is so popular among kids as well as adults. For starters, they are quick to make and eat. Fast food tastes good and not heavy on the pockets. With working parents, kids are forced to eat junk while they are not at home.

Though reasons for eating junk are plenty, so are reasons for eating healthy food. Junk food causes more health problems than one can possibly think of. They are also responsible for the negative mental growth among kids and young adults as well as adults. Some of the most common and obvious problems junk food causes are diabetes, depression, nutrient deficiencies and high sodium levels.

A healthy diet for kids would include lot of green leafy vegetables, fruits, vegetable juices, dry fruits and nuts, eggs, fish and other seafood, and dairy products. Healthy balanced diet has all necessary proteins, carbohydrates, fats, minerals and vitamins.

Here are some dishes you can make at home that would balance your kid’s diet and keep them off junk:

Breakfast “ This is the most important meal of the day and should be heavy as it will keep your kid energized through out the day. Include Granola cereal, yogurt, scrambled eggs, toast, vegetable omelet, whole grain pancakes, cooked broccoli with mushrooms, cooked leafy vegetables and fruits. Make sure fruits are not consumed with food and there is a gap of at least 15-20 minutes between fruits and food.

Lunch “ For lunch you can pack them spinach cakes as they are quick to eat and extremely healthy for your kids. Healthy wraps are perfect for lunch as they are again easy to eat and are quick lunch item for them to consume anywhere. Make sure to avoid unhealthy ingredients in your wrap and replace them with healthy food items such as carrots, beetroot, basil and other green leafy vegetables along with other items.

Dinner “ You can make healthy vegetable or chicken soup for your kids for dinner. Soups such as sweet potato and lentil soup is tasty and liked by kids. Creamy tomato soup is esay to make once you are home from work and is full of nutrients that adds to the healthy diet of your kid.

Food consumption is a very important activity in a person’s life regardless of their age. It’s is very important to stop the junk food intake of your kid as early as possible because junk food can and will hamper your kid’s health in the long run. So it’s essential to educate your kids of the benefits of consuming healthy food and harm of intaking junk food.