How to Raise a Healthy Eater

How to Raise a Healthy Eater
By Lynn Schnurnberger, PARADE Magazine

We want our kids to eat right. Experts say they'll do better in school and have more energy, brighter skin and shinier hair if they choose carrots over chips or lean meat over a greasy burger. Still, it's not always easy. Arguments with recalcitrant tots who'd rather be playing with their mashed potatoes than eating them threaten to turn the dinner hour into a family food feud. But don't give up. Here's the skinny on how you can make eating healthy food more palatable.

Do as I do: "Young children are like ducks: They do what their parents do," says Harvard endocrinologist Dr. David Ludwig, director of the Optimal Weight for Life program at Children's Hospital Boston. If you eat junk food instead of fruits and vegetables, they will too. A University of Tennessee study reports that mothers usually refrain from offering babies foods they themselves dislike—so if you hate fava beans, chances are that your child has never tried them. Still, says Dr. Ludwig, it's never too late to become a good role model.

Keep it real: Explain to children that real foods—like fruits, vegetables, nuts, berries, beans, fish and meat—come from nature. Dr. Ludwig recommends that obese children keep food diaries, recording all of the sugary drinks and factory-processed junk foods they eat in a day. They'll be astonished at how many they consume. Kids may moan, but they'll get hungry and learn to replace cheese puffs with low-fat cheese.

Give babies a taste for variety: Your baby is 4 to 6 months old, and the pediatrician says it's time to augment her diet of breast milk or formula. You give her a first spoonful of pureed cereal—and she spits it out. "Persevere,” advises Penn State University's Leann Birch, Ph.D., director of the Center for Childhood Obesity Research. Birch's studies show that, though babies are born with a preference for sweets, daily exposure helps them accept initially rejected foods. There's no reason why babies' diets should be bland. As early as possible, children should begin discovering new tastes and textures. By the time they're a year old, children in Latin American countries already are sampling moderately spicy foods.

Defuse a potential food fight: If kids are refusing to eat their veggies, "Ask them to take one 'No-thank-you bite,'" says registered dietitian Elizabeth Ward. Be firm, but don't make a big deal about it. Children may need 15 or 20 tries over the course of different meals. Still, older children, like babies, usually develop a taste for once-disliked foods too. Pair new foods with old favorites, and serve small portions (kids always can ask for more). Don't try to introduce a new food when your child is cranky or overtired. Kids under age 5 will do better experimenting at lunch.

Think out of the box: Children need energy-boosting snacks. But beware of the calorie-laden after-school slice of pizza or the toddler treat of cookies and juice. Baylor College of Medicine behavioral nutritionist Tom Baranowski, Ph.D., says healthy snacks have to be accessible. A child is more likely to munch on carrots that are peeled, sliced and sitting next to a favorite dip on a reachable refrigerator shelf. A variety of dressings can make veggies more fun. Cut up oranges and apples, cube low-fat cheese, serve frozen grapes. Offer whole-wheat toast with a little peanut butter or yogurt.

Make good menu choices: Americans today spend 18 times what we did on fast food just 30 years ago; the average teen eats fast food twice a week. The Alliance for a Healthier Generation recommends that you teach kids to pass or go lightly on mayo, sour cream and sauces when eating out. Choose grilled, baked or broiled (anything but fried or breaded) chicken over a burger; a salad or baked potato instead of onion rings or fries. Nix shakes and soda in favor of water or low-fat milk. Avoid the words "double meat" or "supersized."

“De-program your child," says Dr. David Ludwig, who believes that TV might be the most insidious factor in children's weight gain. There's no nutritional value in being a couch potato. TV-obsessed kids miss out on exercise and are exposed to more than 10,000 food commercials a year—most of them for high-calorie, low-quality snacks that they later nag their parents to buy. In a Harvard study, Dr. Ludwig found that for each hour of television they watched, children consumed an additional 167 calories. Take TV sets out of the kitchen and bedrooms, avoid watching during dinner and limit every family member's viewing—parents included—to two hours a day. If you can, set up a treadmill or stationary bike in front of the TV. Then get moving to create fun alternatives to sitting on the couch. Set up a game of Twister or some dance video games in the den. Go biking, jump rope or toss a ball around in the yard.

Beware of becoming the food police: Banning a food completely can make forbidden fruits—or ice creams—all the more tantalizing. In a study of 5- to 7-year-old girls, those told that they couldn't eat snacks were more likely to pig out on food than their peers. Elizabeth Ward suggests striking a balance. "If 90 percent of the time you eat from the food pyramid, 10 percent of your choices can be strictly for fun," she says. The best idea is to go out for treats—that way you don't have to argue over candy that a child knows is right there in the kitchen cabinet. And while you can make sure to stock only healthy foods in those kitchen cabinets, you cannot and should not try to control what your kids eat outside the house. Teenagers, especially, need freedom to make their own choices, and if you limit that freedom, they'll rebel. The good news is that children who grow up in families that are serious about healthy eating often eat right as adults too. After all, you've given them good food for thought.

It's crazy to think that the whole time I was growing up I was never once warned by a family member not to eat something. I was never told to limit my soda, eat only one hostess cupcake, or or eat only one bowl of cereal. There were absolutely no limits put on what me or my siblings could eat. We had free-range of the pantry and refrigerator as long as I can remember.

I like to think that if I ever have kids, it will be different. I really must offer my kudos to all the parents at MFP for taking the opportunity to not only better your health, but the future health of your children :flowerforyou: . I honestly don't think nutrition ever entered my mother's mind when she was grocery shopping!

According to an article I read a couple weeks ago, the average kid sees 48 minutes of food commercials every night while watching TV. Even if you spent every night talking to your kid about nutrition, they are still going to see more examples of bad eating choices than good. It's pretty scary how easily a parents efforts can be under-minded by the idiot-box!

Enjoy the article.