Want your children to eat healthy foods? Create a nutritional home.
Begin here.
By  Jennifer Warner 
Reviewed By Charlotte Grayson, MD
on Tuesday, August 05, 2003
WebMD Feature

 

Creating a nutritional home is one of the most important steps you
can take to ensure the health of your child. To start, make smart
food choices, and help your child develop a positive relationship
with healthy food. Your children will learn their food smarts from
your example.

Here are the top 10 tips for getting children to eat healthy food,
offered by Melinda Sothern, PhD, co-author of Trim Kids and director
of the childhood obesity prevention laboratory at Louisiana State
University:

Do not restrict food. Restricting food increases the risk your child
may develop eating disorders such as anorexia or bulimia later in
life. It can also have a negative effect on growth and development.
Keep healthy food at hand. Children will eat what's readily available.
Keep fruit in a bowl on the counter, not buried in the crisper section
of your fridge. And have an apple for your own snack. "Your actions
scream louder than anything you will ever tell them," says Sothern.
Remember, your child can only choose foods that you stock in the
house.
Don't label foods as "good" or "bad." Instead, tie foods to the
things
your child cares about, such as sports or appearance. Let your child
know that lean protein such as turkey and calcium in dairy products
give strength to their sports performance. The antioxidants in fruits
and vegetables add luster to skin and hair.
Praise healthy choices. Give your children a proud smile and tell them
how smart they are when they choose healthy foods.
Don't nag about unhealthy choices. When children choose unhealthy
food, ignore it. Or if your child always wants fatty, fried food,
redirect the choice. You might try roasting potato sticks in the
oven (tossed in just a bit of oil) instead of buying french fries.
Or, if your child wants candy, you might make fresh strawberries
dipped in a little chocolate sauce. Too busy? Then keep naturally
sweet dried fruit at home for quick snacks.
Never use food as a reward. This could create weight problems in
later life. Instead, reward your children with something physical
and fun -- perhaps a trip to the park or a quick game of catch.
Sit down to family dinners at night. If this isn't a tradition in
your home, it should be. Research shows that children who eat dinners
at the table with their parents have better nutrition and are less
likely to get in serious trouble as teenagers. Start with one night
a week, and then work up to three or four, to gradually build the
habit.
Prepare plates in the kitchen. There you can put healthy portions of
each item on everyone's dinner plate. Your children will learn to
recognize correct portion sizes. And you may find your slacks fit
better as well!
Give the kids some control. Ask your children to take three bites
of all the foods on their plate and give it a grade, such as A, B, C,
D, or F. When healthy foods - especially certain vegetables -- get
high marks, serve them more often. Offer the items your children don't like less frequently. This lets your children participate in decision making. After all, dining is a family affair.
Consult your pediatrician. Always talk with your child's doctor
before putting your child on a diet, trying to help your child gain
weight, or making any significant changes in the type of foods your
child eats. Never diagnose your child as too heavy, or too thin, by
yourself.

"It's all about gradual changes, it's not overnight, and it's an
uphill battle for parents," Sothern tells WebMD. "Everything outside
of the home is trying to make kids overweight. The minute they walk
out of the home, there are people trying to make them eat too much
and serving them too much."

But the food smarts your children will learn from you can protect
them for a lifetime.

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