Your Child - Nutrition and Health

Nutrition and child development are two terms that often go hand in hand. The more nutritious of a diet your child consumes, the healthier your child will be. Nutrition requirements of a child differ from those of an adult, because children experience growth phases throughout childhood. In addition, Physical activity is an equally important part of your child’s health and development.

Here are some child nutrition guidelines:

• Offer your child a wide variety of healthy, nutritious foods like green leafy veggies, fresh fruits, legumes, etc.
• Encourage your child to eat plenty of cereals, especially wholegrain cereals.
• Milk and other dairy products are a must for child growth. They are fabulous sources of calcium that promotes healthy bones and teeth. Low fat or skim milk are not recommended for children under the age of 2, but young children and adolescents can definitely opt for low fat milk varieties.
• As far as intake of non-vegetarian food is concerned, encourage your child to eat lean meat, fish, chicken and turkey.
• Choose foods that are less salty and less spicy.
• Avoid foods that are high in sugar and fat content. Use cooking techniques like steaming, boiling and baking, rather than frying, as this adds extra calories to an otherwise healthy food item.
• Be a positive role model. If you practice healthy habits, it’s a lot easier to convince children to do the same.

HEALTHY SNACKS:

In today’s fast moving society, snack foods are everywhere. Your child will face many unhealthy, high calorie snack choices. Parents should take advantage of the many magazines and websites that are full of healthy and simple snack food ideas for children.

Here is a list of some simple, healthy snacks for your child:

• Dried fruit and nut mix
• Chex cereal, pretzel sticks, raisins, peanuts trail mix
• Fresh vegetables or fruit served plain or with low-fat yogurt
• Raw vegetables and dip
• Chunks of cooked sweet potato, cucumber slices, carrot and celery sticks, 
• Pretzels or popcorn
• Toasted whole grain breads with cheese or peanut butter
• Whole grain crackers with cheese and apple slices
• Whole grain cereal with low-fat milk
• Mini-pitas with hummus spread
• Small rice cakes with peanut butter
• Boiled eggs
• Low-fat yogurt

HEALTHY BEVERAGES

There are plenty of beverages that you can choose from, but not all drinks are healthy. Super markets are stocked with various types of sweet drinks with high sugar content. The term “sweet drink” is a broad concept that includes many types of drinks, like fruit juices, juice beverages, and soft drinks.  Sweet drinks can cause many health ailments like tooth decay, diarrhea and reduced appetite. Most sweet drinks do not contain much nutritional value and should be avoided. Instead, it is better to select healthy beverage choices for your child.

Here is a list of some beverage choices for your child:

• Smoothies made with fruit and yogurt.
• 100% Fruit juices, in moderation. Encourage your child to eat fresh fruits, rather than excessive amount of fruit juices.
• Water is a natural beverage that is absolutely calorie free and tastes great. Preschoolers should not be offered sodas and should be encouraged to drink more water. It has many advantages, so make it an integral part of daily routine to drink water, at least 4- 6 small cups per day.
• Milk holds an important position in the list of healthy drinks for children, since it is a rich source of calcium that is required by the body to ensure healthy, strong bones and teeth. There are several varieties of milk; Skim milk and low-fat milk are by far the best choices for young children, adolescents and adults. However, children under the age of 2 should be given whole milk, due to their energy needs. Consuming milk in excessive quantities can also lead to poor appetite, so limit your child’s intake to 2-3 cups per day. Artificially sweetened milk drinks should also be avoided.

CHILDREN’S EATING HABITS: AND NOT JUST WHAT THEY EAT

Parents often face many challenges when trying to give their children a balanced diet. Children may not want to eat or insist for a particular snack until they are full and then refuse to eat lunch or dinner with the family. The child may not want to wait until mealtime to eat, and you may find it difficult to bring the family together to enjoy a meal.

Here are some tips that might help you in handling some of these issues more efficiently:

• Avoid family conflicts and arguments during mealtimes to maintain a pleasant atmosphere.
• Children may take time to learn proper table manners and etiquette. Be patient.
• Children who don’t eat enough at mealtime should be offered nutritious snacks after one or two hours, such as fresh fruits, vegetables or whole-grain crackers. Offering snacks from various food groups will ensure that your child gets essential nutrients for normal growth and development.
• Try not to encourage your child to play with toys, read books or watch TV while having meals.
• Having meals at a fixed time each day teaches children discipline. It may also be helpful if the family members have fixed seats at the table. Tell children that it is good to eat together and that they should sit at the table until everyone has eaten.
• Try not to threaten, force, or bribe your child to eat, and do not punish for not eating. Simply accept the refusal and do not appear upset about this. Your child may be refusing to eat to seek attention, and your disapproval may only reinforce such behavior.

CHILDREN AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY

Children who engage in active play are likely to stay active and be physically fit later in life. All children need to be physically active.  Activity is particularly beneficial to the physical and psychological well-being of children. Overweight children are more likely to be overweight adults. Successful prevention of being overweight in childhood may reduce the risk of being overweight in adulthood.

Here are some guidelines for promoting physical activity for your child:

• Encourage physical activities that children really enjoy. Physical activity should be increased by reducing sedentary time (e.g., watching television, playing computer and video games), and it should be fun for children of all ages.
• All children age 2 and older should participate in at least 30 minutes of enjoyable, moderate-intensity and developmentally appropriate physical activities every day. Walking, playing, exploring your backyard or using playground equipment at a local park are fun activities for the entire family.
• If your children do not have a full 30-minute activity break each day, try to provide at least two 15-minute periods or three 10-minute periods in which they can engage in vigorous activities appropriate for their age, gender and stage of physical and emotional development.
• Parents should strive to be role models for active lifestyles and provide children with opportunities for increased physical activity. Helping children adopt an active lifestyle early will have a tremendous impact on their physical, intellectual and emotional development.