Nutrition for Children and Teens

Helping Your Kids Develop Healthy Eating Habits

Good nutrition is the bedrock of lifelong health, and it begins in infancy. Yet all too soon, your kids are bombarded by messages that counteract your efforts. Between peer pressure and the constant television commercials for junk foods, getting children to eat well might seem more futile than fruitful.
So, what exactly can parents do to instill healthy eating habits in their kids, without causing World War III at every meal? Simple things like getting kids involved in food preparation; inspiring them with your own healthy choices; and even just simply turning off the television, can make a huge impact on your child’s lifelong relationship with food.

Developing healthy eating habits

Children develop a natural preference for what they eat most often and enjoy. The challenge is to make healthy choices appealing. No matter how good your intentions, trying to convince your eight-year-old that an apple is as sweet a treat as a cookie is not a recipe for success! However, you can ensure that your children’s diet is as nutritious and wholesome as possible, even when allowing for some of their favorite treats. You can please both your child’s palate and your sense of parental responsibility.
Because the childhood impulse to imitate is strong, the best move you can make to start your child off on the right dietary foot is to be a role model, so that when your youngster asks to taste what you're eating, your plate is filled with healthy selections. If you're asking your child to eat vegetables and fish while you graze on potato chips and soda, your actions will override your good intentions.

Top tips to promote healthy childhood eating

*Have regular family meals. Knowing dinner is served at approximately the same time every night and that the entire family will be sitting down together is comforting, which also enhances appetite, and provides a perfect opportunity for your children to share what's on their minds. Breakfast is another great time for a family meal, especially since kids who eat breakfast tend to do better in school.
*Cook more meals at home. Eating home cooked meals is healthier for the whole family and sets a great example for kids about the importance of food. Restaurant meals tend to have more fat, sugar and salt. Save dining out for special occasions.
*Get kids involved. Children enjoy helping adults grocery shop, selecting what goes in their lunch box, and preparing dinner. It's also a chance for you to teach them about the nutritional values of different foods, and (for older children) how to read food labels.
*Make a variety of healthy foods available and keep your pantry free of empty calorie snacks. Keep plenty of fruits, vegetables, whole grain snacks and healthful beverages (filtered water, milk, herbal tea, occasional fruit juice) around and easily accessible so kids become used to reaching for healthy snacks when they're hungry instead of empty calorie snacks like soda, chips, or cookies.
*Let them choose. Don't make mealtimes a battleground by insisting a child clean the plate, and never use food as a reward or bribe.

Persuading children to eat more fruits and vegetables

You may have been told not to play with your food, but making mealtime playful can mean healthier eating for you and your kids! Here are some creative ways to build more fruits and vegetables into your child's daily diet:
*Top a bowl of whole grain cereal with a smiley face: banana slices for eyes, raisins for nose, peach or apple slice for mouth.
*Create a food collage. You can use broccoli florets for trees, carrots and celery for flowers, cauliflower for clouds, and a yellow squash for a sun. When you're all finished, you can eat your masterpiece!
*Make frozen fruit kabobs for kids using pineapple chunks, bananas, grapes and berries.
*Go food shopping with your children. Take them to the grocery store or Farmers' Market to let them see all the different sizes and colors that fruits and vegetables offer. Let them pick out a new fruit and vegetable to try.
*Try fruit smoothies for a quick healthy breakfast, or afternoon snack.
*Add vegetables and fruits to baked goods – blueberry pancakes, zucchini bread, carrot muffins. It’s easy to add shredded veggies or fruit pieces to almost any baked good.
*All soups, stews, and sauces can have extra veggies added to them. To make them blend in, you can grate them up before adding them to something such as red-sauce.
*Keep lots of fresh fruits and veggies washed, available, and in a place where children know to look when they want a snack. Easy fruits and vegetables to grab and eat on the run include apples, pears, bananas, grapes, figs, carrot and celery sticks, zucchini slices. Add yogurt or a tub of nut butter or tahini for extra protein.

Dietary guidelines for toddlers and young children

(Fruits and vegetables)
Two servings each per day. These may be given as snacks, such as apple or carrot slices. Also try slipping in veggies in the form of soups.
(Whole grains)
Four daily servings. Can include buckwheat pancakes or multigrain toast for breakfast, a sandwich on wheat bread for lunch and brown rice or another whole grain as part of the evening meal.
(Milk and dairy)
Three servings, or one pint of whole milk per day. Cheeses, yogurt and milk puddings are useful alternatives.
(Protein)
Two servings a day. Encourage your child to try a variety of foods from this category, such as turkey, eggs, fish, chicken, lamb, baked beans, and lentils. NOTE: Nuts, although an excellent source of protein, are not a good choice for children under five due to the risk of choking.
(Vitamins and minerals)
Check with your child's doctor to be certain your child's diet is adequately meeting the recommended nutritional needs for this age group