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Tips for Healthy Children
Eating habits are learned behaviors;
they’re not intuitive, so what your
children learn to eat at home early in life sticks with them well into adulthood.
Today we are disconnected from our food sources in a way that is unprecedented
in human history. Fewer and fewer Americans cook meals from scratch because it’s
easier and faster to throw a frozen dinner in the oven or grab something from
a fast food restaurant on the way home from work. And the guerilla marketing
foisted upon us by fast and processed food companies isn’t helping. Most
parents know that their kids are under continuous assault by corporate food advertising
but feel frustrated by and even powerless against it. In reality, a few simple
tools combined with a mantra of variety, moderation and balance will provide
you with all you need to ensure the long-term nutritional health of your child.
1. Be a good role model.
Most of the parents we know complain
that their children refuse to eat healthfully and come to us
in search of magic recipes that will put an end to mealtime
madness. The real problem most often lies with the parents,
not the kids. Most of us are so accustomed to eating out, grabbing
a fast food something or other on a lunch break, and buying
prepared foods in the grocery store that we don’t even know what good
food is anymore. We can’t line our cabinets with packaged
cereals and sodas and expect our kids to eat like they were
raised on a commune in rural Vermont. In order to be good role
models we must educate ourselves first and then practice what
we preach.
2. Take your kids shopping with you.
Unfortunately we don’t
all live near farms or farmer’s
markets, so it’s not easy for us or our children to feel
a connection with good, whole (unprocessed) foods. One way to
help them learn is to make a point to take them grocery shopping
with you. Of course it’s probably easier to go alone when
there’s someone at home to watch them or they’re
at school, but it’s important for them to see foods in
their raw states so they can explore and ask questions. Take
them when you’re not in a hurry and spend a lot of time
in the aisles that contain unprocessed foods—the produce,
meat, and fish departments, for example. If your child appears
to be interested in a certain type of fruit or vegetable encourage
him or her to explore that item, don’t just assume that
your child won’t like it. Take it home and let him try
it so he can make his own decisions.
3. Be flexible!
Remember, anything in moderation is okay. Of
course if you eat doughnuts in moderation, followed by potato
chips in moderation and soda in moderation, it is no longer
healthy. Having a cookie every day and balancing it with healthy
foods is a good practice of moderation. While we always want
to make the healthiest choices for our children’s bodies, a special
treat once a week or even once a day won’t do any damage.
On the contrary, it will help make eating a more enjoyable experience
and will help your child build a good relationship with food.
4. Make mealtime special
There are all sorts of fun things we
can do to make mealtime special. First and foremost, sit down
and enjoy your food. Take time to savor flavors. Children should
never eat while walking around. We understand that some young
children have difficulty sitting for the entire meal. In those
cases we recommend allowing the child to get up once or twice,
while encouraging the child to sit, not stand, at the table
when he or she comes back to eat. For children who are able
to understand, explain to them that mealtimes are special family
times and it is important to the family that everyone sits
down to eat and talk together. Make a ritual out of dinner
and give everyone a special task—maybe
even let each child have one night a week to plan and help
make dinner. Have the kids set the table. Cloth napkins and
real glasses set a more formal tone and are better for the
environment. Candles aren’t just for adult dining—they
can set a calming tone for the meal and will show kids that
mealtime is special. Make a point not to allow mealtimes to
degenerate into family argument time.
5. Don’t be a short order cook
Ever find yourself making
one meal for the adults in the house and another for the kids
(or even one for each kid)? Children take their time warming
up to new things and if you keep giving them the old stand-bys
they’re not going to branch out
and explore new foods. Be patient. Most research says
that it takes an average of 10 to 12 times before a child will
try a new food unless they are involved in cooking and gardening
projects. Learning about food and cooking in an active way
helps breed a sense of culinary adventure. Make the same dinner
for everyone in the family while taking some time to put some
foods on the plate that your children like, then add something
new. If they don’t touch it don’t worry about it
and definitely don’t make an argument out of it. Try
again the next week and again the following week. Eventually
they’ll surprise you by at least tasting that new food.
6.
Don’t buy into marketing for kids
Kids don’t need
frozen chicken nuggets, French fries, macaroni and cheese, and
pizza to keep them happy. And those kinds of foods certainly
don’t make for healthy children. Avoid
preprocessed foods at all costs and start talking to your children
early in their lives about what constitutes a good diet and why
it’s important for them to avoid foods like the ones mentioned
above. Even a three year old can grasp why sodas aren’t
good for you and why we don’t eat foods with lots of fat
every day at every meal. Highly processed foods are loaded with
chemicals, synthetic fats, additives, artificial sweeteners,
and food colorings. Kids love brightly colored foods because
advertising (kids see 10,000 commercials a year!) trains them
to believe that those foods are kid foods. Bright blue seems
to be a favorite—everything from beverages to applesauce
can be bought in a frightening shade of blue.
Faced with
the child who thinks he might implode without that blue applesauce
hold your ground and look for an organic applesauce instead
while explaining that both taste the same but one has things
added to it that aren’t healthful.
If you have a particularly stubborn child do a double blind
taste test to prove your point.
7. Don’t
use food as rewards, bribes, or punishments
Okay,
okay, we know, M&Ms have a long history as the greatest
bribe candy on earth for potty training—even the most health
conscious mom will break down and try M&Ms during that oh-so-critical
stage of development. Don’t give in! Stickers work just
as well and you won’t be setting a precedent for using
food as a bribe or reward as your child gets older. Sure, it’s
okay to take the kids out for ice cream or frozen yogurt after
a good (or even a bad) soccer game, just don’t use it as
an incentive for a good game. On the flip side, don’t punish
children for not eating certain foods—it will only foster
a negative relationship between you and your children, not
to mention your children and food.
8. Let
kids help in the kitchen
Encourage your children to help out in the
kitchen. Even a two year old can help peel potatoes or carrots.
For smaller children, invest in a stool, like The Learning
Tower (http://www.heirloomwoodentoys.com), that allows your
children to safely reach the kitchen counter so they can see
what you’re doing, or if you have room,
set up a work station at your child’s height so she can
participate without having to stand on tiptoes to do so. Taller
children may only need a small wooden step stool to reach a comfortable
height. If a child is interested in doing more in the kitchen,
don’t automatically assume that she can’t or that
the task will be too dangerous. Know your child’s limits
and help her achieve success by providing support and encouragement
in a safe setting. Kids love eating food they created. Involve
your child in the cooking or snack preparation and they will
be more likely to eat new foods, including fruits and vegetables.
9. Love and accept your child no matter what!
Love and accept
your child at any weight, size or shape. During childhood growth
is unpredictable at best. It comes in spurts and a once skinny
child can suddenly plump up while his height catches up with
his weight. There’s a lot of pressure
in our society to be thin and you might be tempted to put your
child on a diet during a growth spurt, but that won’t
be helpful and may even cause emotional and physical damage.
Instead, help your child maintain his weight until his height
catches up. The best way to do that is to teach good healthy
eating habits.
10. Make sure your child eats breakfast
It’s the most important
meal of the day, and it should ideally be the largest meal of
the day to get your child off on the right foot. After ten to
twelve hours with no food it’s
important to refuel the engines. If they don’t eat in the
morning they’ll be tired and unable to concentrate in school
before lunch. It’s essential that children jumpstart
their metabolism in the morning so their bodies don’t
enter starvation mode, which might later cause them to experience
difficulty maintaining a healthy body weight.
Some children need to practice eating breakfast. We recommend
starting small and working to a bigger meal if you’re
having trouble getting your child to eat breakfast. For most
children breakfast should be around 500 calories and should
be nutritionally balanced. Starting kids off with sugar first
thing in morning is not ideal. This gives a quick burst of
energy and then leaves your child drained. Breakfast should
always include a source of protein, some healthy fats, carbohydrates
(whole grains are best), and vitamins and minerals. A great
breakfast for a family with time in the morning would be two
eggs, whole wheat toast, fruit, or hot whole grain cereal and
whole grain low-fat granola and/or 100% fruit juice. A family
with less time might choose a hardboiled egg to go with a slice
or two of whole grain toast, or a peanut butter and jelly sandwich
on whole wheat bread.
11. Encourage your children to move their bodies
A good diet
is only part of the equation. In order to stay healthy our bodies
need exercise. Studies have shown that vigorous exercise boosts
the immune system and increases our ability to concentrate. Help
your children find physical activities they enjoy and encourage
them to get outside to play as often as possible.
Identifying
age-appropriate activities will make exercise more fun. Children
between the ages of 2 and 5 enjoy simple activities—running,
jumping, kicking a ball, riding a tricycle (a bicycle as they
get closer to age five), and even using their imagination to
trot and gallop like a horse or hop like a kangaroo. Backyard
play is best for this age group, while for kids between age
5 and 8 organized, non-competitive sports can be extremely
rewarding. Rollerskating and ice skating can be introduced
at this age. Encourage your 5- to 8-year old to explore a wide
variety of sports and physical activities to allow her to begin
to discover her likes and dislikes. Children ages 9 and up
enjoy competitive team sports, but puberty can make many teens
feel self-conscious and awkward, especially around their peers.
Help them find activities, like yoga, strength training, jogging,
and aerobic dancing, that can be done as part of a group or
solo. Every once in a while a family hike makes a great change
of pace for all ages.
As with
eating, a parent’s good example can make the difference
for a child. Make sure exercise is a part of your daily routine
as well.
12. Remember that you are the boss.
Adults need to set the boundaries
for kids because left to their own devices they may choose salty
and sugary processed foods over fresh, healthier choices. Children
actually do much better when they know that they have boundaries
and limits. Listen to your child, but set clear limits and guide
them towards the healthier option.
My Healthy Kids Meal Wheel will help you and your kids
identify the most nutritional, good-tasting foods. I also have
recipes that offer ideas for a menu that is grounded in whole
foods and balanced among whole grains, fresh fruits and vegetables,
and proteins.
Remember, these ideas are just suggestions meant to guide you
during the Challenge. They are not requirements. So, don’t
limit your ideas to just this list. If you come up with ideas
that you would like to share with other schools and families,
please send them to Ann@ChefAnn.com.
I’ll send them out in my weekly “Ann Alert.”
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