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Healthy KidsToday, approximately one out of every four school aged child is overweight or at risk for becoming overweight. That is why it is extremely important to encourage children and their families to adopt nutrition and physical activity behaviors that promote a healthy lifestyle. Kids today are not as active as in the past and their intake of high-fat fast foods, sweetened beverages and high-fat, low-nutrient snacks has contributed to this epidemic. Health experts recommend that children get at least 60 minutes a day of physical activity. Being physically active and maintaining a healthy weight are both needed for good health. Weight loss is not generally recommended for growing children unless the child is being closely monitored by a health care provider. Help your child maintain/obtain a healthy weight by offering them vegetables and fruits, whole grain breads, low-fat dairy products, lean meats, poultry and fish. Limit sweetened beverages, high-fat fast foods and snacks and provide opportunities for them to be active everyday!
Preschool years are an excellent time for children to learn to eat a variety of foods. Preschool children need less calories, but the same variety of foods that older children and adults need. Let them try new varieties of healthy foods every day. Give them whole grain products, and limit their intake of refined sugars, dessert items and high-fat snack foods. The less they are exposed to these items the less they will eat them or ask for them. Let them decide how much to eat. Preschool-aged children know when to stop eating by paying attention to what their bodies are telling them. They are not required to be members of the "clean plate" club for good health. If we do not urge them to overeat, they will not--they will stop when they are full. Be a good role model; children develop their eating behaviors by modeling the adults in their lives. |
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