Wednesday, May 20, 2009

Tips for Healthy Kids

The rates of overweight and obesity – and the related health conditions, such as diabetes and high cholesterol – have increased dramatically among both children and teens. Thus, it is imperative that parents take measures to prevent unhealthy weight gain in all of their family members. Three key areas to focus on are: healthy eating habits, regular physical activity, and limited “screen time." Additionally, parents must serve as role models and demonstrate these healthy behaviors for their children.

Healthy Eating Habits

  • Do your best to offer your child three regular meals, with healthy snacks as needed between meals, each day.

  • Be sure that your entire family eats only while sitting down at a table rather than while walking around or doing other activities; be vigilant to avoid anyone eating in front of the TV. Sit down to meals together as a family as often as possible.

  • Pay close attention to portion sizes, especially for grains (e.g. bread, rice, pasta, crackers) as well as fats (e.g. butter and margarine, oil, regular salad dressings and mayonnaise, other high-fat foods); teach your child to do so as well.

  • One of the most important habits to learn is paying attention to hunger and fullness cues: teach your child to eat only when he is truly hungry and to stop as soon as he starts to feel satisfied (full, but not "stuffed").

  • Limit eating out to no more than one time per week, and fast food to once or twice a month (or less). When your family (or child) does eat out, choose healthy restaurants and order healthy options off of the menu.

  • Only allow your child to drink sweetened beverages such as juice, soda, and fruit drinks occasionally, and limit them to 8 ounces or less each time. Try diluting juice and fruit drinks with water.

  • Grocery shop no more than one time per week – this will save time, money, and prevent impulse purchases of unhealthy foods and items you and your family don’t really need. Always make a list and stick to it. Never shop when you (or your child) are hungry because everything will look good and you’ll be tempted to put more than you need to – including unhealthy items – in the cart. Read nutrition facts labels carefully and compare products.

  • Have your child's weight checked no more than one time per week, such as at the dietitian’s and doctor’s offices.

Physical Activity
All children need regular physical activity, which means at least 1 hour per day, at least 5 days per week. Now this doesn’t mean that they have to take part in structured exercise they dislike – as adults often do – such as running around a track or walking on a treadmill. Being physically active includes being outside and running around with friends, riding bikes, going on a walk around the neighborhood with the family, and playing active games indoors or outdoors.

“Screen Time”
Limit your child’s “screen time” to 1 hour or less per day. “Screens” include: TV, movies, video games, and the computer (other than for homework use).

The link between “screen time” and weight is at least threefold and has both direct and indirect causes. It was initially believed that the weight gain associated with watching television was due exclusively to the fact it is very passive and takes the place of active, calorie-burning play. This is true, however, there is a possible indirect link between sitting in front of a screen and unhealthy weight gain: children see many very appealing advertisements for junk food that promote the consumption of high calorie foods and beverages. The third link is that we tend to snack while sitting in front of a screen, whether we are really hungry or not.

Alternatives to “screen time” include playing outside, reading books, board or card games, playing sports, riding bikes, arts and crafts, going for a walk, going to the park, going swimming, cooking, creative writing or drawing, going to the library, yarn crafts (or other needlework), going to the YMCA or other recreation center, and so on.

Modeling Healthy Habits
It is critical for parents to model healthy habits in front of their children. For example, the more often they observe you eating fruits and vegetables, the more likely they are to eat them. The same is true with physical activity and screen time: the more active you are, the more active they are likely to be; the less TV you watch, the less TV they are going to watch. We can’t tell our children one thing, do another, then actually expect them to listen to us – they will watch us and repeat what they see us do, not what they hear us say.

Healthy Cookbooks for Parents

  • Deceptively Delicious: Simple Secrets to Get Your Kids Eating Good Food by Jessica Seinfeld

  • The Sneaky Chef: Simple Strategies for Hiding Healthy Foods in Kids' Favorite Meals by Missy Chase Lapine

  • The Moms' Guide to Meal Makeovers: Improving the Way Your Family Eats! by Janice Newell Bissex, MS, RD and Liz Weiss, MS, RD

  • Meals Without Squeals: Child Feeding Guide and Cookbook by Christine Berman, MPH, RD and Jacki Fromer

  • Quick Meals for Healthy Kids & Busy Parents: Wholesome Family Recipes in 30 Minutes or Less From Three Leading Child Nutrition Experts by Sandra K. Nissenberg, MS, RD, Margaret L. Bogle, PhD, RD and Audrey C. Wright, MS, RD

Healthy Cookbooks for Kids

  • The Healthy Start Kids' Cookbook: Fun and Healthful Recipes Kids Can Make Themselves edited by Sandra K. Nissenberg, MS, RD

  • The Everything Kids' Cookbook: From Mac 'N Cheese to Double Chocolate Chip Cookies by Sandra K. Nissenberg, MS, RD

  • Kids' Fun and Healthy Cookbook: Over 100 Step-by-Step Recipes by Nicola Graimes

  • The Healthy Body Cookbook: Over 50 Fun Activities and Delicious Recipes for Kids by Joan D’Amico and Karen Eich Drummond

  • I Made It Myself! Fun and Healthy Recipes for Kids to Make by Sandra K. Nissenberg, MS, RD

Cookbooks for Packing Healthy Lunches

  • Brown Bag Success: Making Healthy Lunches Your Kids Won't Trade by Sandra K. Nissenberg, MS, RD and Barbara N. Pearl, MS, RD

  • The Top 100 Recipes for a Healthy Lunchbox: Easy and Exciting Ideas for Your Child's Lunches by Nicola Graimes

  • Healthy Lunchbox: The Working Mom's Guide to Keeping You and Your Kids Trim by Rallie McAllister, MD

  • The School Lunchbox Cookbook: Tasty, Nutritious, and Easy Lunches Your Kids Will Love by Miriam Jacobs

Nutrition Websites (these still count as "screen time"!)

Copyright © 2009 Keeley Drotz, RD, CD – TGBG Nutrition. All rights reserved.

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    Posted by Keeley Drotz at 1:00 PM
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