Keep Your Child Eating Healthy
Good nutrition plays an important role in your child’s early growth and health, and a lack of key vitamins and nutrients can lead to major health issues. The healthy diet also helps prevent obesity and weight related diseases, such as diabetes. The number of overweight children in the United States has increased romantically in recent years. Approximately 10% of four and five-year-old children are overweight, double that of 20 years ago.
Just like Marisol and Alex, when your children learn to enjoy healthy foods at an early age, they are on a path to good health for the rest of their lives.
Important tips:
- As a parent, you should model good nutritional choices. For example, if you choose french fries instead of the healthier baked potato, you can expect your children to do the same.
- Limit access to “junk” foods, but provide some healthier alternative sweet options, such as fresh fruit. Making all sweets for bed and may only intensify a child’s attraction to them.
- Be patient and keep offering you foods, even if they are rejected at first.
- Give your child water rather than sugary juices or soda.
- Along with eating healthy foods, you and your child should stay active and include physical activities into your daily routine.
- Take kids to the farmers market, let them pick their own fruits and vegetables, and involve them in food preparation. They’re more likely to enjoy their meals – and to clean their plates.
Resources:
- Facts and benefits of a healthy diet: http://www.superkidsnutrition.com/
- Nutrition games to teach your child about healthy eating: http://www.dairycouncilofca.org/Tools/KidsLearningTools.aspx
- Healthy recipes and cooking tips from Chef LaLa: http://www.cheflala.com/lifestyle/healthyrecipes/family/kids-zone
- The importance of physical activity at every age and tips for ways to keep your child active: http://kidshealth.org/parent/centers/fitness_nutrition_center.html
