1. The Daily Parent
A NEWSLETTER FOR WORKING PARENTS
DeliCious anD nutritious:
Helping Children Make Healthy Food Choices
t oday, we know and amounts of food children
understand the and adults should have
importance of a each day as part of a
healthy diet. Even fast ‘healthy’ food balance. The
food restaurants that once food pyramid is divided
offered only fried and fatty into six food groups:
foods, now include healthier grains, vegetables, fruits,
selections on their menus, milk, meat and beans, and
such as fruits, raisins, oils. The amounts and
salads, and milk as well. portion servings are based
on your age. The pyramid
Healthy (and not so model has undergone
healthy) eating habits begin in childhood. changes over the past few years to include
Parents who serve nutritious foods are more variety in the amounts and types of
also teaching their children to make good foods suggested for a healthy diet. It also
food choices now and in the future. Young takes into account that different cultures
children who start off eating the “right” have different kinds of foods that are also
foods can avoid long-term health problems, part of a healthy diet.
such as diabetes, high cholesterol, heart
disease, and obesity later in life. So, what The food groups and examples of food
are the right foods and how much of them in each group
should children eat? Grains: bread, cereal, crackers, pasta
Vegetables: spinach, carrots, green beans,
A Balanced Diet cucumbers
You may have heard of the food pyramid. Fruits: apples, berries, oranges, bananas
The pyramid is a guideline for the types and
Milk: cheese, milk, yogurt
in this issue Meat & Beans: chicken, beans, peanut
butter, eggs
The Nutrient Mix . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
What about Babies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Oils: butter, oil, some nuts
Junk Food . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Once your child is around 2 years or so,
Children are Often Picky Eaters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
he will be eating from most of the food
Spicing it Up: Fun Nutritious Meals groups. As he grows older, his food groups
for Your Child . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
and choices will grow. According to Kids
For More Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
issue no. 62
2. Helping Children Make Healthy Food Choices
Health, a good guideline for what toddlers 4. Iron: Found in iron-fortified cereals,
should eat each day is: spinach and other leafy green
vegetables, and red meat—toddlers
u servings of grains (a serving is 1/2 slice
3 should eat around 7 mg/day.
of bread, or a few tablespoons of rice, pasta,
or infant cereal)
u servings of dairy (a serving is a cup of milk
2
What about Babies?
or yogurt, 1-1/2 oz of cheese) For the first year of life, your baby will
u servings of protein (a serving is 1-2 tbsp
2
mostly get the nutrients and calories
of meat, one egg) needed from milk—either breast milk or
formula. At about 6 months, you can start
u servings of fruit (a serving is 2-4 tbsp)
2 feeding him iron-fortified infant cereal,
u servings of vegetables (a serving is
3 fruits and vegetables in small amounts,
2-4 tbsp cooked) but make sure the food is soft and mushy
and can be eaten without much chewing.
Don’t worry if your toddler doesn’t eat
the same amount every day, or doesn’t Once your baby is 9 or 10 months old, you
eat this much—every child is different. If can feed her small amounts of meat and
you do have any concerns, talk to your grains. Talk to your pediatrician to find
child’s doctor. out exactly how much you should feed
her. At around age 1, you can transition
Of course as your child grows, she will eat your baby from breast milk or formula to
more. Speak with your pediatrician to learn cow’s milk. (Note: some babies are allergic
about the recommended amounts of food to cow’s milk. If your baby seems fussy
for your child’s age, or find out more from after drinking cow’s milk or shows other
the resources section at the end this issue. symptoms, talk to your doctor.)
The Nutrient Mix Offer these healthy alternatives as snacks
One of the reasons it’s important to follow If your child likes . . . Try . . .
the food pyramid is because many foods
u ilk or a fruit juice with no sugar
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include key nutrients. Four key nutrients Soda
added
your child should eat are:
Chips u Chopped up veggies or other celery
1. Protein: found in milk, meat, eggs,
and beans—toddlers and preschoolers u elon slices, kiwi, tangerines,
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should eat around .5 grams per pound or other fruits
of body weight; Candy u Nuts (if your child is older)
u Cheese
2. Fiber: Found in fruits and vegetables—
6-8 grams/day;
3. Calcium: Found in milk, cheese, leafy Junk Food
green vegetables, fish and other Some foods are nutrient-rich and have the
sources—children need 500 mg/day, necessary vitamins and materials we need
which is usually fulfilled by eating to maintain our health. But “junk foods”
two servings of dairy; and such as chips, candy, sweets, and soda are
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3. Helping Children Make Healthy Food Choices
Try these ideas for making mealtimes a bit more creative:
not nutritious. These types of foods (that u oast with a Face: Use cream cheese, slices of
T
we all seem to love) are “empty calories.” strawberry, blueberries and other fruits to draw
Breakfast a face on toasted bread.
Some of these in a normal diet are okay,
u Breakfast Smoothie: Blend low-fat yogurt
occasionally. However, it’s a good idea to
with fruit to make a tasty, drinkable breakfast.
try to limit your child’s consumption of
these foods. u Silly Sandwiches: Use cookie cutters to make
sandwiches in fun shapes.
Lunch u old-cut Roll Ups: Instead of a sandwich, take
C
Children are Often lunch meat, cheese slices, and a tortilla and roll
them up together.
Picky Eaters u ini Pizzas: Use the usual ingredients and
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Even if you have the best ideas in mind, toppings, but a bagel for the crust.
your child still might not want eat all the Dinner
u reakfast for Dinner: Serve waffles or omelets at
B
healthy food choices you serve. In fact, dinner time.
most toddlers are “picky eaters”—they
don’t automatically like new food. u nts on a Log: Celery with peanut butter
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and raisins.
Here are some strategies for how to deal Snack u rozen Juice Popsicles: Freeze no-sugar added
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with picky eaters: natural juice in ice-cube containers, add toothpicks
or popsicle sticks.
w If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again:
Children don’t always like foods the first time.
In fact, some children may need to try a food Spicing it Up: Fun,
10 or 15 times before they will enjoy it. And,
no one likes every food.
Nutritious Meals for
w ick the right portion: For a new food, a
P
Your Child
little bite or two is enough. There’s no need We all have to eat, but there are no rules
to expect your child to dig right into a whole that say we always have to eat the same
helping of spinach the first time. things the same way. Experiment with
w on’t bribe them: If you tell your child that
D food and make it fun. Have your child help
she can have a cookie if she finishes the you prepare food. The more involved they
broccoli, it will only reinforce the idea that are in preparing food, the more likely they
broccoli is bad, and cookies are good. will want to eat it.
w Offer a choice: Let your child choose from a Eating nutritious foods will help your
selection of healthy foods you have available.
child’s overall development – of course
For instance, offer her a choice between
carrots and corn for her vegetable.
physically, but also emotionally and
mentally. Good, healthy foods help children
w on’t force it: If your child doesn’t want
D to think better, have more energy and
to eat the food, don’t make him eat it. sleep better as well. It does the same for
Sometimes you won’t win, and that’s okay. adults. We all feel better when we eat
w e a good role model: If your child sees you
B better. Your child watches everything you
eating different healthy foods, she will model do, so when you eat healthy foods, she will
your behavior. If possible, try to get the family want to as well.
to eat together at mealtimes.
Make eating healthy a family tradition. Try
eating meals as a family, even if it is only
once a day. Having your meals together is
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