Many parents are realizing that rushed schedules and too many dinners from fast food restaurants are affecting the way their children eat and see foods. The best way to get your kids to eat well is to be a role model and to get them involved in meal planning. Eating healthy is always a family affair. Whether your children are very young and you are looking to start them out "right" or they are already in the habit of eating too many high fat, high sugar foods, you can use these tips to help your family eat healthy meals.
Children should be offered a variety of foods from all food groups including whole grains, fresh fruits and vegetables, low-fat or skim dairy products, lean meats, fish, poultry, and beans. A good rule of thumb in choosing the healthiest versions of these foods is "the less processed, the better." Processed foods are usually prepackaged foods like crackers, cookies, instant noodle and rice mixes, sugary cereals, and breads made with white flour.
The ChooseMyPlate method divides the plate into 4 food groups: fruit, vegetable, grains, and protein. You can use this plate to choose foods for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Simply fill half of a 9-inch plate with fruits and vegetables. The other half of the plate should be split between starches (such as whole grains and starchy vegetables like potatoes) and lean proteins, like lean meat, beans, and peas. A cup of low-fat or skim milk or yogurt on the side is ok.
If you have a busy schedule, go shopping and stock your cupboards with quick, healthy choices for the week. Always have basic foods available to prepare fast, simple and nutritious meals.
Basics for your shopping list:
Families are usually busy in the morning when everyone is getting ready for school and work. Finding time to make dinner and eat together is often difficult as well. If you plan ahead, you can have the right ingredients to make quick and healthy meals.
If you are concerned that your child is overweight, talk to your child's healthcare provider. Children are rarely put on calorie-restricted diets because it can affect normal growth. Kids often gain too much weight from overeating high-calorie snacks and fast foods, drinking too much soda and juice, and lack of exercise. The healthy meal planning tips given here are appropriate for both normal weight and overweight children.
You can get more information about healthy eating from the ChooseMyPlate Web site at http://www.choosemyplate.gov/