Children today have an almost endless number of food choices dozens of different breakfast cereals, juices and juice combinations, yogurts, shapes of chicken nuggets, and so on. So one might expect that today’s children eat more nutritiously than children did even 10 years ago. Sadly, the truth is just the opposite. French fries are by far the most popular vegetable in this country. Many children skip breakfast. Calcium consumption falls well below recommended levels, particularly among teenage girls.
Children eat fast foods sometimes several times a week. And obesity is a growing problem among American children.
A return to a commonsense approach to feeding children, along with encouragement of physical activity, could help improve the nutrition health of our children and might offset the development of chronic diseases like cancer, heart disease, and diabetes later in life.
Parents decide what to serve; children decide whether to eat
Parents and caregivers know or can learn how to prepare healthful meals and snacks. On the other hand, children, particularly young children, typically lack the knowledge and maturity to plan meals that are balanced and varied. For this reason, parents and caregivers need to take charge when it comes to meal planning. But it’s the child who decides what to eat, how much to eat, and whether to eat at all.
It can be difficult for parents and caregivers to refrain from pushing, cajoling, or rewarding to encourage a child to eat. What tends to happen, however, is that the more a parent or caregiver forces a child to eat, the less the child wants to
eat and the more difficult mealtime becomes.
Drop out of the Clean Plate Club
Children have a natural ability to adjust the amount they eat to their appetite. When they’re hungry, like during a growth spurt or following an afternoon of sports, they tend to eat large amounts. If they’ve been at an afternoon birthday party, they may not want to eat dinner. Parents and caregivers who force children to clean their plates can interfere with this “food thermostat.” Children then can lose touch with their body’s signals of fullness and hunger, eating more food than they actually need just because it’s mealtime or because they have to finish. The end result too many calories and too many pounds.
Return to the fundamentals
The Food Guide Pyramid is a simple tool that can be used for planning balanced meals for the family. It depicts five basic food groups grains, vegetables, fruits, dairy foods, and proteins (meat, poultry, fish, eggs, beans, and nuts) along with recommended numbers of daily servings, for example, three to five vegetables per day. Children’s servings might be smaller than adult servings, depending on the age of the child, say, one-quarter cup of vegetables for a three-yearold and one-half cup for a seven-year-old. The recommended numbers of servings for each food group should be distributed throughout the day. To limit excess fat, sugar, and calories, the Pyramid recommends including fats, oils, and sweets, along with high fat or sugary foods, only sparingly.
Just say no
Children need to learn that they cannot eat everything that they want to eat. Just say no to a soft drink at the fast food restaurant if your child should drink milk to get his calcium for the day. Just say no to a second serving of ice cream if your child skimped on lunch. Offer her more lunch instead. Just say no to the endless stream of cookies, chips, and candy that so many children eat after school. Offer a reasonable amount, along with fruit, a sandwich, and other more healthful options. By setting limits, parents can teach their children how to exercise moderation when enjoying treat-type foods.
Make time for meals
The benefits of mealtime go far beyond nutrition. Family meals are a time for family members to talk about their day and to discuss their thoughts. Even just a few meals together per week will help a child grow and develop in a healthy way. Even if parents make time for meals, many have little time to cook, hence the popularity of fast food, “home meal replacements” (take-out food from delis, supermarkets, and restaurants), and frozen dinners. But family meals do not need to be fancy or complicated. Simple, quick suppers like soup and sandwiches, scrambled eggs and toast, or pasta tossed with vegetables take minutes to prepare and are just as tasty.
Set a good example
Children learn by example from their parents, caregivers, and teachers. Children are more apt to eat healthfully if the adults around them eat meals that are balanced and include plenty of variety. Picky eater children often have picky eater parents. The same holds true with physical activity children may be more
active if their parents are active and encourage physical exercise that the entire family can enjoy. Parents who maintain a healthy attitude toward eating and exercise pass that attitude onto their children.
Written by Mindy Hermann, RD
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