Healthy Foods and Children

Healthy foods and children don't always make the happiest combination. Parents and care givers may have a hard time making children happy about their food choice and introducing a healthy eating lifestyle.

We all know healthy habits contribute children's overall well-being and help them grow and develop healthy bodies. Parents can be a little confused and frustrated when trying to introduce healthy foods. “Unfortunately, some parents over-think what to do about their child's eating habits, which give way to practices like forcing kids to clean their plates. And some parents don't think about nutrition at all, letting their kids eat a lot of junk food and drink a lot of juice. So, it's important to find a balance.”

When we understand a little better some of the basic facts about children's nutrition, we can avoid mistakes. Here are some tips for parents and care givers about children's nutrition: You may go from having an infant who eats a large variety of vegetables and fruits and three big meals a day, to a toddler who is a much more picky eater and eats much less. Surprisingly to many parents, that can be very normal -- as long as their toddler is gaining weight and growing and developing normally, and isn't filling up on milk and juice. In fact, many toddlers simply eat one good meal each day, and then just pick at their other meals. Your toddler's diet will likely be made up of about 16 to 24 ounces of milk (low fat milk once your child is 2 years old) and 4 to 6 ounces of juice, and be eating 2 snacks and 2 to 3 meals.”

It is important to know that although toddlers may not eat everything that it is offered to them, we should always continue to present a variety of healthy foods like vegetables, fruits and whole grains. Children are more willing to accept food if they are not pressured or forced to eat them. “Remember that this is a period in your child's development where he is not growing very fast and doesn't need a lot of calories. Also, most children do not eat a balanced diet every day, but over the course of a week or so, their diet will usually be well balanced.”

Most experts also advise that kids will eat more vegetables and fruits if parents or care givers start offering these foods when they are infants. Parents should also set a good example to kids with their food choices and by eating healthy. Also, a good tip is to mix vegetables and fruits in the food that the kids already like.

According to the American Heart Association, the best nutrition advice to keep your child healthy includes encouraging him to:

• Eat a variety of foods
• Balance the food he eats with physical activity
• Choose a diet low in fat, saturated fat, and cholesterol
• Avoid foods with a lot of added sugar and foods high in salt
• Choose a diet that provides enough calcium and iron to meet his growing body's requirements
• Avoid a lot of fast food, caffeine, juice, and soda

For more information about children and healthy eating visit

http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=3030485

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/childrens-health/HQ01107