Nutrition
Spring is an ideal time for planting herbs or vegetables that your kids can watch grow over the season
inevitable on some evenings, have fruit and vegetables accompany the meal, e.g., let- tuce and tomato on your child’s hamburger or sandwich order. Another good habit: Snack on fruits and veggies before dinner or the game. Carrots dipped in hummus, and apples with peanut/almond butter are easy to prepare and carry. Hungry kids are more likely to eat their fruits and veggies.
Forming Family Traditions With consistency and time, healthy changes become part of your family traditions, providing a sense of order and security in your children’s lives. Mealtime is an important part of a family’s daily rou- tine. All kids benefi t from the respite from the hurried, often harried, daily schedule that family mealtime can provide. It’s a good opportunity for kids to share stories about their day. Research has shown that sharing in the family meal benefi ts their mental health, lowers their fast-food intake and increases their fruit-and-veggie intake. Mealtime doesn’t need to take place only at the family table. You and your family may
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make a Sunday afternoon outing to the beach or the park a family tradition. Family meals are also important for
establishing parenting rituals. In an obesity- prone world, it’s essential for parents to un- derstand their role in feeding their children. You have the authority to decide what your kids eat, and they have the right to decide how much they eat. You should not cajole or bribe them to fi nish their meals. Also, you should not allow them access to less healthy foods between meals. Hungry kids will eat healthfully at designated mealtimes. As children get older, they can participate in choosing menu items and their favorite dishes. They will also enjoy helping with food shopping and preparation — invaluable skills to help maintain their future health. Spring is an ideal time to start another fam-
ily tradition: planting a few herbs or vegetables that your kids can watch grow over the season. You can harvest what you plant in later spring/ summer and use the herbs and veggies in recipes your family prepares together. In Animal, Vegetable, Mineral, Barbara King- solver says most kids have no idea where
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