Press Release

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Good Habits For a Healthy Life

As preschool and school-aged children grow and develop it is important to have a well balanced, nutritional diet. This is especially important for this age group because these are the primary years of physical and mental development. It is also the prime time when children form eating habits, including likes and dislikes, that will affect their future food choices.

Children often use their parents as role models, so it is important to set a good example. It would be good for parents to try new food themselves to be a model for their challenging, it can be made fun for the child and easier for parents by using the USDA Food Guide Pyramid as a resource. This guide tells parents the child’s needs according to the number of servings and types of foods in each food group (milk, meat, vegetable, fruit, bread, & cereal, and fats & sweets.) The serving sizes for each food group are as follows: Milk (3 servings), meat (2-3 servings), vegetables (3-5 servings), fruit (2-4 servings), bread & cereal (6-11 servings), and fats & sweets use sparingly.) Remember that this is a general recommendation, and it is important to give your child foods that are age-appropriate.

In addition to following the Food Guide Pyramid, make sure that your child eats 3 balanced meals everyday. A small snack between meals may be necessary for younger children to have enough energy to last throughout the day. If your child seems cranky, anxious or sluggish, he/she may need a snack to resolve it. Pay attention to your child’s actions to look for cues.

Although your child need to eat 3 meals/day, do not encourage or force your child to finish the whole meal if he/she is full because you may be setting up the child to become an over eater, a possible risk factor of obesity. It is better to give small portions and wait for the child to ask for another portion when finished if the hunger is not satisfied.

When it comes to snacks, parents need to carefully choose and to include the Food Guide Pyramid. However, some foods, such as fruit snacks and fruit juices, can be deceiving since they appear healthy, but are actually loaded with sugar and often lacking nutrition (such as Vitamin C).

Preparing healthy snacks can be made fun and educational for your child. Here are some helpful tips for preparing food:
• Involve the younger child when making snacks (use butter knife to cut bananas, pour cereal, help measure ingredients). For older children, tech them how to use kitchen equipment safely to increase involvement.
• Cut the food into fun shapes and have a colorful display of foods to help make the food more appealing.
• Teach your child good hand washing when handling food.
• Instruct the child to brush teeth after meals.
• Give the child a choice between 2 or 3 healthy foods to eat to allow the child to have some independence.
• Allow plenty of time for children to eat because they do not have the ability to eat fast.

Trying new foods can also be challenge. However, do not give up on it after one attempt. Offer a new food more than once to familiarize the child with it. Also, try offering one new food at a time with foods the child already likes.
While your child is eating, you must watch for choking. However, you can prevent or decrease the risk by avoiding certain foods such as popcorn, peanut butter, nuts, and crackers.

Keep in mind that your child’s diet may change each day, so pay attention to the pattern of food eaten over several days. The child may still be getting enough nutrients if he/she is growing, healthy, and has lots of energy. In the end, it is still necessary to set a good example for your child and work with your child one on one to develop healthful habits and maintain good nutrition.

For more information about child nutrition, please contact the Union County Health Department at 937-642-2053.