Path to improved kids health

Path to improved  kids health

There are many ways you can teach and support your children in eating healthfully. They include:

Start with breakfast

Eating a balanced breakfast with protein is a great way for your child to start their day. Protein can help them stay fuller longer. It even can help teenagers lose weight.
Mornings can be hectic. Try one of these for a healthy on-the-go breakfast:

• egg sandwich on whole-wheat bread

• Greek yogurt

• peanut butter on whole-grain toast

• Hard boiled eggs, toast, and an apple.

Make mealtimes a priority

Sitting down at the table as a family is an important part of establishing healthy eating habits. But it’s more than just eating together. Mealtimes are also a chance to:

• Provide your kids comfort. Children thrive on routine. Knowing they have dinner or other meals with their family regularly helps them feel safe.

• Talk with your kids. Show interest in what’s going on in their lives. Tell them what’s going on in yours. Build stronger connections among your family members.

• Monitor their eating habits. Older kids and teenagers spend more time eating at school or at friends’ houses. Use this time to watch what and how they eat. See if there is anything you can do to encourage better habits.

• Set an example for your child. If you prepare and eat healthy foods yourself, your child will eat healthier, too. Avoid obsessive calorie-counting. Don’t talk negatively about yourself. Your child could adopt the same attitudes. This could lead him or her to develop body image issues or negative associations with food.

 

Get kids involved

Have your kids help you shop for groceries and choose foods to eat. Teach them how to read a food label so they know the nutrition in the foods they’re choosing. They can also help fix meals and take some ownership in what they’re eating.
Another fun way to involve your child is to plant a garden. Growing some of your favorite fruits, vegetables, and herbs can teach children valuable lessons. Planting, maintaining, and harvesting your own food is satisfying. It can be a fulfilling experience for children and adults alike.
Make small shifts to healthier foods
You don’t have to overhaul your entire meal plan. Just find a few alternatives to unhealthy items in your fridge or pantry. Slowly start adding in more until you’ve adopted healthier food choices. Examples of easy swaps to make include:

      Instead of                                           Try…                                                                                                                                       

• Whole milk                                     Low-fat milk

• Soda                                              Water or flavored sparkling water

• White bread                                   Whole wheat or whole grain bread

• Ice cream                                       Homemade smoothie

• Butter                                            Olive oil

• Potato chips                                   Baked chips or nuts

Limit sugar

Sugar occurs naturally in many foods. These include fruits, vegetables, grains, and dairy products. We get all the sugar we need from these foods.

Many foods have added sugar. At best, all this extra sugar just adds empty calories to our diets. At worst, it can contribute to hyperactivity, mood disorders, obesity, and type 2 diabetes.Sugar is often added to foods we wouldn’t think had sugar in them. These include breads, canned soup or vegetables, condiments such as ketchup, frozen meals, and fast food. For the best health, we should avoid or reduce the amounts of these foods we eat.

Here are some tips for reducing the amount of sugar in your and your children’s diets.

• Don’t ban sweets. Saying your child can’t have doughnuts or cake ever again can create cravings. When they do have a sweet treat, they tend to overindulge. Just make these kinds of foods a special treat instead of a regular part of their diet.

• Modify recipes. Many recipes taste just as good with less sugar added. Try reducing the amount of added sugar by half and see how it comes out.

• Avoid sugary drinks. It is recommended that children should have no more than 12 grams of sugar a day (3 teaspoons). Yet 1 can of regular soda has 40 grams (10 teaspoons) of added sugar. Cutting out sodas and juices is an easy way to reduce sugar.

• Eat more fruit. Fruit has plenty of natural sugar. Eat more to satisfy your sugar cravings. Make desserts that are centered around fruit. Try a fruit smoothie instead of a milkshake.

      

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      reference : familydoctor.org