As a parent, you know that a healthy diet is one of the best things you can provide your child. Making sure your child eats well EVERY DAY is vital to their well being. That’s why I recommend the following:
- Feed your children breakfast everyday. Whether it’s leftovers or simply a yogurt or whole wheat toast with butter, kids need nutrition to start them off right.
- Ditch the white bread! Start them with whole wheat or multi-grain breads and never look back.
- Give them a daily multivitamin with minerals. This does not make up for a poor diet – it merely supplements any diet.
- Demonstrate good eating habits. Kids look to moms & dads as role models. This means you need to eat whole grains, fruits & vegetables.
- Don’t let your children drink sugary drinks. They don’t need the calories and their teeth don’t need the “sugar bath.”
Now some more nitty gritty about childhood nutrition …
Kids typically get enough calories but do not get enough fiber, calcium, potassium and magnesium. To correct that, they should do the following:
–Eat whole grains. (I can’t stress this enough!)
–Eat at least 5 fruits and vegetables a day. Potatoes count, but french fries and
ketchup do not!!
–Eat nuts and seeds. Almonds, walnuts, peanuts, cashews, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds … they’re all great, so go nuts!
–Drink lowfat or skim milk. If your child doesn’t like milk, try soy milk or calcium-fortified orange juice. All are good sources of calcium.
If you can start these habits young, your children WILL thank you for it later (believe it or not!!)
