We always want what’s best for our children. We hope they never experience any serious injuries or chronic health problems. However, about 210,000 kids and teens have diabetes. It can be quite a challenge to get your child to follow a healthy diet and lifestyle to manage this condition, but their health and quality of life depends on it.

Encourage a Healthy Diet

 Encouraging your child to eat a healthy diet is one of the most important—and challenging—steps you’ll take in your child’s diabetes journey. Teach your child about “good” and “bad” foods for blood sugar, starting with carbs.

White bread, rice, and pasta, for example, are processed from white flour and are known to significantly raise glucose levels. They should be restricted. Teach your child instead to choose healthy carbs from whole grains: barley, brown rice, quinoa, About 60% of your child’s diet should be carbs. Focus on the importance of eating fresh fruits and vegetables.

You may even want to incorporate the same healthy diet into your life.

Help Your Child Create a Meal Schedule

Drastic spikes in your child’s blood sugar can be dangerous. You can prevent extreme highs and lows by setting up a meal schedule for your kid. Ideally, your child should eat within one-and-a-half hours of waking up and every four to six hours after that. A low-carb snack in between is fine.

A meal schedule can help you better manage diabetes in teens and kids. You must lay the foundation to ensure your child learns good habits to incorporate for life.