How to Feed Your Kids Healthy Food

June 14, 2009

Feeding your children is probably one of the most challenging and most important roles that you play in their lives as a parent.  It would be so much easier to give in and let them eat what they like but healthy eating is critical for their physical and mental development, not to mention for preventing obesity later in life.  Here are some tips to guide parents in healthy eating habits for kids:

• Don’t give up on feeding vegetables. Sometimes an older sibling can encourage your younger child.  Be sure to keep repeating exposure little and often, up to 10 times.

• Offer vegetables and fruits raw and sliced on a colorful plate or cut into fun shapes which kids will like.  Keep dressings and sauces in a separate bowl so picky kids won’t have to eat them.

• Don’t “ban” any food as it will only reinforce the child’s desire for unhealthy foods.  Instead have healthy snack foods at home such as Terra Chips and whole grain pretzels

• Use non-food rewards such as sticker charts for good eaters.

• Feed foods containing natural sugars such as fruits, vegetables, honey, milk products, cereals as opposed to added sugar and artificial sweeteners

• Offer healthy, fruit-based desserts such as strawberries dipped in honey and almond butters-yum!

• For an extra edge in the morning make sure you eat a breakfast of complex carbohydrates and protein whole grain breads and cereals, beans, and eggs.

• Parents play a direct role in children’s eating patterns; eat at the table with your children and save the TV until after dinner

FYI: Here’s a guide to how many calories per day your child needs, so you can be sure you’re not overfeeding!

1-3 years: (boys) 1,230 – (girls) 1,165

4-6 years: (boys) 1,715 – (girls 1,545)

7-10 years: (boys) 1,970 – (girls) 1,740

11-14 years: (boys) 2,220 – (girls) 1,845

14-18 years: (boys) 2,755 – (girls) 2,110

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