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Parents. . .Eat Your Words!

Are you pleased with your progress toward healthful nutrition and fitness habits, but frustrated with that of your children?
Do you suspect that the lunches you send to school are traded or thrown away? Do you shudder at the sight of your pantry shelves displaying high-fat snacks and sugary cereals that you vowed you would never buy? Can you really win the battle against advertising, peer pressure and kids’ love affairs with sugar and fat?

The Bad News and the Good News

Kids today are fatter and less fit than previous generations. The rates of childhood obesity began to level off around 2006, but are still high at around 16%. And research shows that overweight children are more likely to become overweight or obese adults. Being overweight as a child even puts youngsters at risk for cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes at a young age.

Food companies spend millions of dollars on television advertising to convince children that high-fat, high-sugar, processed foods are worth eating. Food is consumed because it’s cool, fun or comes with a free toy, rather than for its impact on health or even for its taste.

So what’s a parent to do? Eat your words! The fact is that parents who have adopted a lifestyle that includes healthful foods and regular exercise are living role models for their children.

We know that the behaviors children see most often at home are the ones they will be most likely to adopt for themselves, and parents’ efforts to promote healthy food habits do make a difference. Eat at least one meal together as a family each day, so that your children can regularly observe healthy eating habits.

Stack the Deck

It is a good idea to stock the kitchen with a majority of healthy items, keeping in mind that kids want some of their favorite foods, which may be sweet and/or salty. Save these foods for once-in-a-while treats, and make their regular snacks healthier.

Buy pretzels, which are low in fat, instead of greasy chips. Keep cut-up vegetables and ready-to-eat mini-carrots in the refrigerator. Sprinkle air-popped popcorn with grated parmesan cheese instead of butter. Check out www.eatright.org for a list of more healthy snacks for kids.

A good way to get kids involved and committed to healthy eating habits is to involve them with the food shopping and preparation. There are lots of children’s cookbooks on the market; select one that emphasizes ways to modify your kids’ favorite foods rather than eliminate them. Children who feel competent to select and prepare food will make more intelligent food choices. www.MyPyramid.gov has some great educational tools for teaching children about balanced nutrition and physical activity.

Balance Is Everything

The key to keeping kids happy and healthy is to strike a balance between foods that are good for them and those that just taste good, and between leisure or TV time and physical activity.

This brings us to the other side of the healthy living equation. The most obvious impact of inactivity on kids is the strong association between the number of hours spent watching TV or playing computer games and the level of obesity among youngsters.

Children should engage in 60 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity on most, if not all, days of the week. Encourage kids to get outside and play tag, jump rope or get involved in sports.

Make physical activity a family affair. Go for a bike ride together, play catch or walk the dog. This will motivate you to get some exercise in, while simultaneously setting a great example for your kids—and creating lifelong memories. It’s a win-win-win situation!

[bio]
Christine Ekeroth has been a health and fitness writer for more than 20 years. She is currently the editor of ACE Certified News, a publication of the American Council on Exercise. For more health and fitness information, visit www.acefitness.org.

Additional Resources
American Council on Exercise: www.acefitness.org
American Dietetic Association: www.eatright.org  
MyPyramid Food Guidance System: www.MyPyramid.gov

Used with permission from the American Council on Exercise

I’ll admit it. I used to hear about parents who made their own baby food and I always thought I’d never be one of “those people.”

But then I had a revelation. It happened after I played a rather ill-advised game of “guess what the food is” at a baby shower. The game is simple in its grotesqueness. You’re required to taste food from unlabeled baby food jars–the person who guesses the contents correctly wins a prize.

I didn’t win any prizes. But I did leave with the knowledge that my kids would never eat anything that tasted like that stuff did.

So I bought books on making baby food and read a ton online. And then I realized something. Babies like the same foods we do. They like different flavors and colors. They just need them in a form they can handle.

Enter the food processor. Place a scoop of what you’re eating and a little fresh water into the processor and puree. It could be anything from grilled chicken to blueberries. Depending on the age of your child, add more water to soften the food into a more desirable consistency. And if you add too much water, just stir in some baby cereal to thicken it back up. When your baby is older, whiz together frozen fruit or vegetables with a little water–the crunchy frozenness keeps the food from totally pureeing, adding some texture to the meal.

Be sure to avoid egg whites, seafood, and honey if your child is under one year old. And use good judgment–it’s unlikely any child would want pureed pickles.

Store unused food in the fridge for up to three days, or freeze it in ice cube trays and pop out portions as needed.

Voila! You’ve just saved money, created a nutritious meal without (many) preservatives, and started your child on the path to eating more diverse foods. I found that from about 8 months on, my kids really seemed to like an added pinch of salt or Cajun spice in their food. My son, still not a year old, gobbles down pureed Indian Palak Paneer. His older sister will ask specifically for pink sea salt on top of her chili.

It makes me feel good to know exactly what they’re eating. But it feels even better to get a sincere high five from a 2-year-old who has learned that every food is worth trying.

Written By,

Rachel Handel

Pittsburgh Hot Plate

Raising Healthy Children

Raising Kids Who Eat Well