Healthy eating is such an easy thing to do, yet many people begin their lives without being exposed to it. Why? Is it that parents are naturally negligent? Parents either fail to learn the importance of feeding their children healthy meals and snacks or don’t understand the impact of poor eating habits on the future growth of their children. There are also those who use the excuse that feeding their children healthy meals is more expensive than feeding processed foods, and though the initial cost of preparing home-cooked meals may be higher than one pays for processed foods, once you have all the ingredients you need, the cost will level out.

On the other hand there are those who insist buying fresh fruit is more expensive than buying cupcakes or baking a cake; however, this information is highly inaccurate. If fresh fruit is out of the budget during off-season, frozen or canned varieties that are unsweetened or packed in natural juices are a healthy substitute. Of course, the real question is whether money is more important than the health of your child. There is always a way to work around the expenses of healthy foods, but one must first become educated in the importance of buying healthy foods and how to prepare them for the entire family. Healthy eating is not something just for your children though they are the most important factors in this equation.

One of the most important reasons to encourage healthy eating in your children is because of the damage that sweet snacks can cause. In about the last fifty years the numbers of cases of ADD and ADHD have increased dramatically, and some experts link these figures to excessive sweets and preservatives that are in processed foods. While many lay people tend to believe these conditions are excuses for poor parenting, they are indeed real to those who suffer from them. If we return to eating wholesome and natural foods, the numbers of cases of ADD and ADHD will decrease as well, but it will take the cooperation of schools and parents.

Another major problem with both children and adults is that of poor choices of snacks. In the case of school age children, part of the blame for this can be placed on the schools who fail to provide healthy snacks—for instance, teachers often use sweets as a reward for good behavior. While no one disputes the need for snacks, adults need to understand that children do not need sweet snacks. Our schools need to join with YoNaturals and team with companies such as Healthy Student Vending and School Healthy Vending to ensure the children have healthy snacks. Parents need to cooperate with the schools and provide healthy snacks at home. It is no more expensive to by an apple than it is to buy a cupcake—probably less expensive. Students will be better behaved and more focused when they consume less sugar and more natural foods.