Making sure your plate has plenty of veggies is one easy way to get healthier in 2010!
Happy New Year’s Day everyone! A new beginning is the perfect time to tackle all those important things you may have been putting off during the rest of the year.
The No. 1 resolution on many Americans’ list is losing weight and getting healthier. All month long we’ll be talking about the importance of nutrition. OHealthy offers a great article to help get us started on the basics of healthy nutrition.
Healthy eating habits are especially important during childhood. Children learning and growing at a rapid rate use up lots of energy, and their bodies need healthy foods to provide that energy.
Most parents are concerned about how they can get their children to eat nutritious foods. Mealtime can become stressful for the whole family when children won’t eat what parents think they should.
Children learn food preferences from parents, siblings, family members and friends. Set a good example by the foods that you, as parents, eat. Show your children how to try new foods by expanding your own choices, and offer a variety of foods.
The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases offers the following suggestions to help your child develop and maintain good eating habits and to prevent chaotic mealtimes in your home:
- Offer your child a wide variety of foods. Include grains, different vegetables and fruits, low-fat dairy products, and lean meat or beans.
- Snacks should be healthy: fresh fruit, dried fruit, vegetable sticks (carrots, celery, peppers), low-fat yogurt, air-popped popcorn.
- Let your child decide whether and how much to eat of new foods. Keep serving new foods even if your child doesn’t eat them at first.
- Limit the amount of sugar in your child’s diet. Choose cereals with low or no added sugar. Serve water or low-fat milk instead of sugar-sweetened sodas and fruit-flavored drinks. If your child demands sweetened cereal, sweeten with no-calorie artificial sweeteners such as Equal or Splenda. Diet sodas may be offered in limited amounts, but they should not replace the recommended minimum of three eight-ounce glasses of milk daily.
- Choose and prepare foods with less salt. Keep the saltshaker off the table. Have fruits and vegetables on hand for snacks instead of salty snack foods.
- Involve your child in planning and preparing meals. Children may be more willing to eat the dishes they help fix.
Visit OHealthy to read the complete article, “Kids’ Healthy Eating Not Just About Food” for even more tips.
