I have no kids. So, I do not make any claims to know how to raise them, nurture them, or feed them. I am sure you have that down packed. Though I have no experience in those areas, I do have a lot of experience in teaching kids how to eat healthy. I have taught nutrition and health classes for kids of all ages. I have also administrated a nutrition education program for low-income residents all across the state of Mississippi in which the major target group was kids. So I have just a little bit of knowledge in this area. Though I worked a bit with kids, I often thought their parents should have been more of my focus. Most kids (looking at ages 10 and under) do not buy or fix their own food. That is usually the responsibility of a parent of caregiver. Most times, it is also the responsibility of a school or daycare. So let me focus my attention on the adults…
I have many friends and family members (adults) who have come to me asking for “a diet plan” in efforts to lose weight or because their health was at risk. When I gave them a dietary regimen to lose weight, or just to eat healthy in general, they usually said, “Well, it’s going to be hard to eat like this, ‘cause I don’t know what I can give the kids to eat.” My response: What? Why can’t the kids eat healthy too? Is their health not at risk also? It actually is….
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC, 2011) report that obesity in children and adolescents (2-19) has almost tripled since 1980. 20% of 6-11 year olds are obese. 1 of 7 low-income preschool children (2-4) are obese. Obesity among children increases their risk of having to deal with other problems including diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, breathing problems, etc. The CDC’s claim is that childhood obesity is the result of “eating too many calories and not getting enough physical activity.” I tend to more or less agree with this claim. So what do we do to help improve our kids health so they have a better chance of NOT having to deal with these issues?
8 things to do to improve the eating/health habits of your kids:
1. Don’t let them eat whatever they want. If you have nothing but processed foods around the house (most anything that is packaged and put on your shelf), please do not just tell your kids they can have whatever they want to eat for lunch or dinner. You are robbing them of a balanced meal.
2. Let them eat whatever they want. In direct opposition to number 1, this only applies if you have only healthy options for them to choose from. I believe it is a great ideal to let kids choose what they want to eat…especially when all of the choices are good choices. For instance, if for dinner, you are giving them a choice of either rice, carrots, and baked fish, versus green beans, grilled chicken, and a roll…that would be 2 good choices. Or if for a snack, you let them choose between 4 different kinds of fruit, that would be a way to give them all good choices.
3. Pack their lunch for school at least 4 out of 5 days. Don’t always depend on the school lunch if at all possible (unless the school has made some major changes to what they are serving). Make sure to always pack a fruit and/or vegetable in their lunch.
4. YOU practice eating healthy in front of them (and emphasize how much you like what you are eating). Don’t just cook it for them and then eat whatever YOU want to eat. You eat the healthy meal too.
5. Stop giving them cookies and chips and cheese crackers for snacks. Yes they are convenient. Yes the kids like them. Yes you may do it every once in a while. But please don’t make a habit out of it (3-4 times a week). Wean them off of this stuff (because they will put up a fight if you just try to abolish it altogether), and get them to find a fruit or vegetable they enjoy that can be a frequent snack (I did ants on a log with kids and they loved them (FYI-ants on a log is a celery stick, laced with peanut butter, and raisins crawling across the top).
6. Find food items that you and the kids can make together in the kitchen. Here are some great resources with recipes you and your kids can try together: http://www.childrensrecipes.com/index.htm; http://www.cookingwithkids.org/Making%20Food%20Fun.html; http://www.pbs.org/parents/food-and-fitness/eat-smart/cooking-with-kids/
7. Substitute the fries for a fruit. I know it is easy to just go through the drive-thru and get them a kid’s meal. Do what you have to do. Only don’t let them have fries with that meal all of the time. Also, please don’t let them have a soda pop with it every time. Opt for the milk (chocolate or plain).
8. Make sure your kids get some play time---and that is not hand-held video game play time. Don’t depend on them to just get it at school. Make sure they get it at home. This can be done through a game that includes lots of movement (Wii is acceptable), or just running and playing games outside. This is nutrition-related because it helps the kids to burn off any extra unnecessary calories that they may have consumed throughout the day.
I hope this helps you and your family! Until next time…
-Jenelle Robinson
-Jenelle Robinson
References:
CDC. Overweight and Obesity. Retrieved November 14, 2011 from http://www.cdc.gov/obesity/childhood/problem.html.
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