|
Untitled Document
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
| :: Talking to Your Kids About Nutrition :: |
| |
|
 |
 |
 |
|
 |
|
With so many high-fat, high-sugar products available from supermarkets and fast food restaurants, a big problem facing today?s parents is how to get their children to eat healthy meals and snacks. Preferred Care wants to make it as easy as possible for you to teach your children about nutrition, because eating right is especially important to growing bodies. Here are some ways to convince your kids that there?s a better way to live than by junk food alone.
Use Your Kids? Natural Curiosity
Kids probably won?t be interested in hearing about the benefits of carrots. But you can making learning fun by showing them how to use the nutrition information they learn in school. For example, encourage them to read labels so they can see what?s in their favorite foods.
Talking to Your Pre-Teen
You can use a pre-teen?s desire to look good as a means of encouraging proper nutrition. Point out that a healthy body is an attractive body. However, be on the lookout for eating disorders such as anorexia (self-starvation) and bulimia (bingeing and throwing up). Girls who are perfectionists are especially vulnerable to these disorders.
Talking to Your Athlete
Coaches usually stress the importance of good nutrition in athletics. If your child is active in sports, back up the coach?s advice by providing healthy snacks at home. Fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grain breads, cereals, pasta and low-fat dairy products are good choices for post-practice eating.
Food Fads
It can be distressing when your daughter announces that she?ll eat nothing but brown rice, but try not to panic. If food choices are not obviously dangerous or unreasonably expensive, try to accommodate your children?s wishes within the framework of sound nutrition. Also, remember that children?s taste in foods can fade quickly. Brown rice may be replaced by burgers or broccoli before you know it.
Small Changes for Big Results
You can make good nutrition a family affair with a few subtle changes in your diet:
- Buy fresh fruits and vegetables instead
- Reduce the amount of sugary of canned foods your family consumes.
- Switch from whole to low-fat or nonfat milk.
- Replace animal fats such as butter and lard
- Limit high-fat meats such as pork and beef with olive, canola or soybean oil. |
Source/Author Info:
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
... |
|
|
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
