Healthy food cartoon4/6/2023 ![]() If you push your kids to eat broccoli but never touch it yourself, you might need to take a closer look at your diet. They distract kids from paying attention to how much they’re eating and when they’ve had enough. To help kids listen to their bodies, don’t push them to have “one more bite” or clean their plate. But that’s easy to ignore when you’re surrounded by snacks and giant portions. ![]() Help kids stay in touch with their “hunger cues.” We’re born knowing to eat when we’re hungry and stop when we’re full. (You can tell younger kids that too many sweets will make them feel “yucky.”) Then, offer fresh fruit for desserts and limit treats to two or three times a week to keep cravings for sweets in check. Explain to older kids that while candy and cookies taste good, sugar can do their body more harm than good. Then talk about why sticking to it is a good idea. When you buy packaged foods, have kids help you find the serving size. Protein should be palm-sized, and fats like butter or mayonnaise about the tip of their thumb. Even very young kids can learn that the amount of rice or pasta they eat should match the size of their fist. ![]() It’s not just what kids eat that matters, but how much. Foods with the least nutrition, such as french fries, don’t need to be off limits, but kids should stop and think twice before they eat them often. Label foods as “go,” “slow,” or “whoa.” Kids can “green light” foods like whole grains and skim milk they should have every day and “slow down” with less healthy foods like waffles. When you’re cooking or grocery shopping, show them different examples of these key food groups.Īvoid calling foods “good” or “bad.” Kids should learn that all foods have a place in their diet. The other half should be whole grains and lean protein that gives them energy to run, dance, and play. Explain that they should fill half their plate with fruits and veggies that have nutrients that will help their bodies grow. Show kids what “eating right” looks like. Older kids can take on larger roles like choosing recipes and making a shopping list. Younger kids can pick out fresh fruits and veggies. Take kids with you to the grocery store or farmers market. Make sure healthy foods are the default setting for your family’s meals, and get everyone involved in choosing some nutritious, tasty options. Parents can get that message across by talking with kids about the food they put in their bodies, why it matters, and how they can learn to make the healthiest choices. “Kids need to know that every food they put into their bodies affects them,” says Danelle Fisher, MD, chair of pediatrics at Providence Saint John’s Health Center in Santa Monica, CA. But wait too long and they could pick up unhealthy habits in the meantime. You don’t want to give them more facts than they can grasp or turn every meal into a lecture.
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