Teaching your children about nutrition and healthy eating habits can have lifelong impact. Learn more about helping your children make healthy food choices on their own.
Preparing them for lifelong health
Getting children to eat nutritious foods and teaching them
good eating habits for a balanced diet are challenges many parents face.
Since children frequently will not choose nutritious foods or eat
well-balanced diets automatically, moms and dads need to guide them.
Then, throughout their lives, our children will have the knowledge base for
nutritious and healthy eating -- whether they follow it or not becomes their
responsibility once they're on their own.
Competing with advertising
Parents have to compete with advertising which often
highlights the benefits of sugar-coated cereals and other snack foods. But
parents shouldn't feel they're ogres when they insist on cereals without
marshmallows, sugar coating or catchy names and snacks that don't
consist of "empty" calories. We are responsible for and concerned about our children's
health and need to learn about the benefits of foods that contain the most
nutrition.
Nutritious snacks
It's estimated that one fourth of children's daily calorie
intake may consist of snacks. So it's imperative parents teach their
children to nibble on nutritious snacks, not "empty," fattening
calories.
Among these nutritious snacks might be yogurt (plain or with
fruit), various cheeses with crackers, whole wheat products, raw
fruits and raw vegetables. Have them drink fruit juices rather than soda
pop. Also teach them that water and milk can be the beverages of choice.
Notes for Interactive Notepad
Overweight children
The old adage, "Clean your plate," may lead to overweight children. Instead, we might teach our children to take smaller servings they can finish, thus not wasting food and not trying to eat more from their plate than they need.
If children become overweight, they're quite likely to be overweight adults or find it more difficult to keep their weight under control.
Getting exercise
Make sure your children get enough exercise. Even though a child
does not overeat, he/she still might be overweight if they don't get
enough daily exercise, which is a problem in this modern age when most
don't live on farms, have daily chores or have to walk to school.
Encourage your children to walk more; plan family activities
with this in mind. Get them out-of-doors instead of letting them sit in
front of the television or computer.
Healthy foods
To get your youngsters to eat more fruit, try FRUIT KABOBS. This can be a snack or dessert.
Arrange pieces of fruit on a platter. Any of the following make good kabobs -- unpeeled apple wedges, melon cubes, orange sections, fresh apricot halves, banana sections, pineapple chunks, whole strawberries,
pitted dates, dried apricots, prunes or figs, chunks of canned fruit, fresh plum halves, chunks of fresh pear or peach.
To add interest and taste appeal, children may want to dip
their kabobs into yogurt. If you don't have kabob skewers, have the
children pick the fruit up on a toothpick and dip it.
MUFFIN PIZZAS are a dish children like to eat and enjoy making
themselves. These can be a snack as well as a lunch meal.
Split an English muffin in half. On each half, spread some
tomato or pizza sauce. Then place on each half a slice or 1/2
slice of cheese or shredded mozzarella cheese. Add some ham, mushrooms,
pepperoni, green pepper, if desired. Place under broiler and broil
just until browned and bubbly.
Or you can place the pizzas on cookie sheets and bake in 350
degree oven until browned and bubbly.
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