ISTOCK.COM
Nutrition
Developing Healthy Eating Habits It’s not uncommon for toddlers who were previously good eaters to suddenly refuse certain foods. It’s important to avoid power struggles, as your goal is to get your kids to enjoy healthy foods, and to develop healthy eating habits. This will help you avoid be- coming a short-order cook who prepares a separate meal for each family member. Establish a rule that your child only eats at mealtimes, and established snack times. Don’t force your child to eat at mealtime, but don’t allow her to snack throughout the day or carry around a cup of juice or milk. This will fi ll her up and make her less hungry at mealtime, and she will be less likely to try new things. Never bribe your child to eat new foods or clean her plate. Introduce one new food at a time, and make sure the meal contains other foods you know your child enjoys. Also, introduce foods similar to her favorites.
Helping Your Kids to Eat New Foods
* Substitute mashed sweet potatoes or caulifl ower for mashed potatoes.
* Add bananas, berries and spinach to smoothies.
* Make your pizza at home, and hide the vegetables under the cheese.
* Puree some vegetables, and add them to pizza or spaghetti sauce.
* Add spinach or peppers to eggs.
* Add sweet potatoes or pumpkin to pancake batter.
* Don’t expect your child to eat an entire serving of a new food. One or two bites is
a great start. Help your child develop an apprecia- tion of food. Allow him to help plan, shop and cook. Also, be sure to talk about the food to help your child learn. Discuss
26
Your child should understand that adults and kids eat the same things, and that fruits, vegetables and lean meats taste good
the texture, smell, taste, color and what it does for your body — or take your child to a local farm and let him see where his food comes from. The more your child is involved in the entire process, the more ac- cepting he will be of new/different foods. Probably the most important factor
in developing healthy eaters is setting a healthy example for your child. Make sure he sees that you enjoy eating healthy foods. Strive to have regular family meals, and be sure to serve your child the same things you eat. Your child should under- stand that adults and children eat the same things, and that fruits, vegetables and lean meats taste good. Keep electronics turned off, and talk about the food during meals. Your child should learn that mealtime is for sharing and enjoyment.
What Should Kids Eat? A well-balanced diet is sometimes diffi cult for parents to imagine. The United States Department of Agriculture has redesigned the food pyramid into a simple model: a plate divided into four equal categories of fruits, vegetables, lean protein and grains, with a side of dairy. With each meal, try to serve equal portions of these food groups, while limiting salt, added sugars and saturated fats. These empty calories found
www.readysetgrowmag.com
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104 |
Page 105 |
Page 106 |
Page 107 |
Page 108