Tips to get your kids to eat healthy

With the holidays here – your kids are probably eating cake, sugar cookies, cupcakes, and tons of candy (as we all like to do as kids)…and it can be tough as a parent to get your children to actually want to eat healthy when they eat more junk food during the holidays. Letting kids eat unhealthy food increases the chances they will become overweight and eat a poor diet as adults. Kids who eat a healthy diet are more likely to get enough nutrients, have more energy, build strong bones and muscles and maintain a healthy weight. Parents can encourage their children to make healthy eating choices by providing lots of healthy options, being patient and setting a good example.

Here are some tips on how to get your kiddo to eat healthy and persuade your little one not be such a picky eater!

1.  Make a schedule. Children need to eat every three to four hours: three meals, two snacks, and lots of fluids. If you plan for these, your child’s diet will be much more balanced and he’ll be less cranky, because he won’t be famished. Put a cooler in the car when you are out with your kids and keep it stocked with carrots, pretzels, yogurt, and water so we don’t have to rely on fast food.

2.  Plan dinners. If thinking about a weekly menu is too daunting, start with two or three days at a time. A good dinner doesn’t have to be fancy, but it should be balanced: whole-grain bread, rice, or pasta; a fruit or a vegetable; and a protein source like lean meat, cheese, or beans.

3.  Don’t become a short-order cook. Don’t get into the bad habit of preparing a meal for your kids and one for you and your partner. It can be exhausting. Prepare one meal for everybody and serve it family-style so the kids can pick and choose what they want. Children often mimic their parents’ behavior, so one of these days, they’ll eat most of the food you serve them.

4.  Introduce new foods slowly. Children are new-food-phobic by nature.

5.  Dip it. If your kids won’t eat vegetables, experiment with dips. One example is when your child tries your first veggie such as a carrot, dip it in ranch dressing or even hummus, salsa or some sort of yogurt-based dressing.

6.  Make mornings count. Most families don’t eat enough fiber on a daily basis, and breakfast is an easy place to sneak it in. Make up batches of whole-grain pancake and waffle batter that last all week. For a batch that serves five, sift together 2 cups whole-wheat pastry flour, 4 tsp. baking powder, 1/2 tsp. salt, and 2 Tbs. sugar. When you’re ready to cook, mix in 2 Tbs. ground flax meal, 2 cups water, 3 Tbs. canola oil, 1/4 tsp. vanilla, and 2 Tbs. applesauce.

7.  Get kids cooking. If your children become involved in choosing or preparing meals, they’ll be more interested in eating what they’ve created. Take them to the store, and let them choose produce for you. If they’re old enough, allow them to cut up vegetables and mix them into a salad.

8.  Cut back on junk. Remember, you — not your kids — are in charge of the foods that enter the house. By having fewer junk foods around, you’ll force your children to eat more fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and dairy products.

9.  Allow treats. Having less healthy foods occasionally keeps them from becoming forbidden — and thus even more appealing. Even treat them to McDonald’s for lunch every so often.

10.  Have fun. The more creative the meal is, the greater the variety of foods my kids eat. We make smiley-face pancakes and give foods silly names. (Broccoli florets are “baby trees” or “dinosaur food.”) Anything mini is always a hit too. I often use cookie cutters to turn toast into hearts and stars, which the children love.

11.  Be a role model. If you’re constantly on a diet or have erratic eating habits, your children will grow up thinking that this sort of behavior is normal. Be honest with yourself about the kinds of food messages you’re sending. Trust your body to tell you when you’re hungry and when you’re full, and your kids will learn to do the same.

12.  Adjust your attitude. Realize that what your kids eat over time is what matters. Having popcorn at the movies or eating an ice-cream sundae are some of life’s real pleasures. As long as you balance these times with smart food choices and physical activity, your children will be fine.

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Preventing Colds and Flus for your Kids

Did you know the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) now recommends flu vaccinations for everyone 6 months and older, and that nearly 70 percent of American ages 18-49 didn’t get the flu shot last year! 

I have had the worst flu and now a cold for the past 2 weeks – it has really kept  me down. I think I caught something at my niece’s 2nd birthday party playing inside the bouncy house for 3 hours with her (I couldn’t resist!).  Here are some tips on how to prevent your kids getting the flu and colds this winter: 

1.     Get the Flu Shot! Why?

• You can’t afford to be sick. Do you really want to spend a week or more violently ill, missing work or scrambling for child care? “Even if your child is vaccinated, he could still bring the virus home from school or a playdate, and you’ll be exposed.
• You’ll protect your unborn baby. If you’re prego, new studies show that getting the shot will give your baby antibodies that will guard him for months after he’s born. That’s key since infants under 6 months old can’t get the vaccine, and they’re at higher risk for serious flu complications.
• Your kids’ protection isn’t as strong as yours. Even if your children are vaccinated, their immunity fades faster than yours, so your shot offers an extra layer of protection during that time. It will also make it a lot easier for you to care for them if they do get the flu.

2.    Wash hands well
Make your child lather up with soap and water after playing outside, using the bathroom, and coming home school or day care, as well as before each meal. Carry hand sanitizer that’s at least 60 percent alcohol.

3.    Prescribe sleep
A lack of sleep nearly doubles the chances of getting sick. So make sure your child is regularly getting enough zzz’s, and set an earlier bedtime if your child has been around someone who’s sick.

4.    Feed your kiddo a good diet
Instead of relying on vitamins or supplements, make sure your child eats a lot of colorful fruits and vegetables, which are rich in antioxidants and vitamins.

5.    Bundle up
A British study found that getting chilled while cold and flu viruses are circulating may triple your chances of getting sick.

6.    Discourage eye- and nose-touching
Otherwise, you really up your chances of infecting yourself after getting germs on your hands. The enzymes in our mouth provide some defense against germs, but the eyes and the nose don’t have that kind of protection.

7.    Teach proper coughing
Encourage younger children to “catch” their cough in their bent inner elbow, not in their hand. Older kids can be taught to act like they’re holding a cape across their face like Dracula. Teach your children to immediately wash their hands after coughing or sneezing.

8.    Disinfect away.
Germs can live for hours on inanimate objects. Target toys, doorknobs, remote controls, handrails, tables, books, light switches, crib railings, faucets, the toilet handle, the telephone, the diaper-pail handle, and more.

9.    Ban sharing.
Most of us know that we shouldn’t use the same cups, toothbrushes, or eating utensils. But did you know that you should give sick family members a separate place to store their toothbrush, and their own towels or paper towels for hand drying? Even give your sick child his or her own toothpaste. 

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Crazy! A dieting book for preschoolers!

So I just read about this book that is coming out this fall about dieting for children! Is this what bedtime stories are about  these days?!? This new book is called Maggie Goes On a Diet and instead of teaching your children not to say 4-letter swear words, parents should be more concerned about a scary word to teach them…to….Diet. A pre-school child needs a healthy, balanced diet to fuel his or her active and growing life. Also important is for you, the parent, to give the right foods and model healthy eating habits yourself. This can help your child to ward off any childhood health problems such as obesity or even diabetes.

Maggie Goes On a Diet will be available this fall, and while it’s a book about a 14 year old girl who goes on a diet, Amazon is listing the reading level as appropriate for kids ages 4-8.

According to Jezebel, the book is described as follows:

This book is about a 14 year old girl who goes on a diet and is transformed from being extremely overweight and insecure to a normal sized girl who becomes the school soccer star. Through time, exercise and hard work, Maggie becomes more and more confident and develops a positive self-image.

I understand and agree that many of the kids, especially in the United States, are obese or on their way to being overweight, but reading it in a book at a young age is only going to possibly lead to distorted understanding of body image and even worse, eating disorders. What happened to teaching your kids about making good choices with the food they put into their bodies and exercise??? A chubby girl in a poorly styled and ill-fitting dress is not going to show your child what it means to have a “healthy and active lifestyle.” Do kids so young really need to learn about diets? Would you ever read this book to your preschooler?

Preschool children need healthy foods to meet the demands of their growing, active bodies. Provide your child with a diet full of whole-grain foods, colorful vegetables, fruits and high-protein foods, such as lean meat and beans. Children need foods that are high in calcium and iron. Milk, white beans, broccoli, sweet potatoes, cheddar cheese, yogurt and fortified orange juice are excellent sources of calcium. Increase your child’s intake of iron with lean meat, fish, nuts, peanut butter, beans, spinach, strawberries and whole-grain bread.

You can give your child a kid’s multivitamin to supplement your kiddo’s balanced diet; however, this should not replace eating healthy foods.

Just Remember…Proper nutrition helps prevent obesity, weak bones, and diabetes. Provide your child with a healthy diet to help prevent diet-related diseases when your kid grows up. A healthy lifestyle will also boost your child’s concentration, provide her or him with genuine energy and just help your child feel good every day!

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Sugar and Kids – the good, the bad and the ugly facts

As parents we all want our children to eat healthy and learn “healthy eating habits.” As a child I remember being rewarded with fruit for dessert and rarely had ice cream and sweets (perhaps on the weekend) and it was a “treat” if I had fruit snacks in my lunch. Left and right I see parents who abuse sugar and allowing their kids to have to much candy and sweets – then I wonder, do they know how bad it really is for the kids? Is candy or a popsicle in the morning really that healthy for your child? Don’t get me wrong, it isn’t poison, but what type of eating lifestyle are you setting your child to have for the rest of their lives? In my opinion, it is all about moderation. I had a boyfriend where his parents didn’t allow sweets in their house growing up – he was out of college and ate my entire See’s candy box because he didn’t know how to control himself! Scary! In moderation, foods that contain sugar can be a reasonable addition to a well-rounded diet.

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