Healthy Eating Habits For Life

Ask any parent if they want their child to eat a healthy diet and the answer will be “yes!” As adults we know that eating the right foods helps to keep our bodies healthy. Unfortunately, the goal of healthy eating can sometimes differ from the reality of it occurring. There are many factors that play into this – child temperament, family habits, access to proper nutrition (also called “food security”), knowledge of what is truly healthy eating habits. In America today, about half of all adults have medical illnesses that are related to poor dietary habits. 

If you start teaching healthy eating habits early on, chances of success increase. Remember, the habits that are started early will stay with them into adulthood, so choose wisely what you want your child to learn!

MyPlate

MyPlate is the government initiative to guide parents and help their children develop healthy eating habits and obtain the nutrition they need. It involves creating a balanced mixture of all types of foods to keep children healthy. It is a quick and visual way of setting up your child’s plate by essentially dividing it into four sections – fruits, vegetables, grains, and proteins. In other words, half of your child’s plate should consist of fruits and vegetables!Water or milk should be given to drink.

There’s even an app! You can download it: https://www.choosemyplate.gov/startsimpleapp

How much is too much?

Portion sizes  – the amount of a particular food served during a meal – are a big deal when talking about nutrition. Even if your child is eating healthy foods, if he or she eats too much it can lead to the body storing food and gaining weight. Depending on the age of the child, a portion size is 1/4 to 1/2 of a cup. An easy way to determine this in older children is to use the size of the palm (NOT the whole hand). This can give you a quick visual comparison for healthy portion sizes. 

Keep in mind that serving sizes can vary widely at restaurants and at home. Reading labels on store-bought foods can be misleading as well unless you pay special attention to what they are referring to as a “portion size.” 

It’s a family affair

You cannot expect your child to develop and maintain healthy eating habits if you do not demonstrate them yourself. 

• Avoid fad diets or restrictive eating programs. 
• Avoid making different meals for family members. Rather, commit to eating healthy, balanced meals as a family. 
• Make family mealtime a priority. Studies have shown that sitting down together as a family at dinnertime promotes healthy family relationships, improves communication, and builds self-esteem in children. They are also more likely to do better in school and less likely to suffer from anxiety, depression, and substance abuse issues. Turn the television off and engage each family member in conversation.  

Rules to eat by

Work with your child and teenager to ensure success in healthy eating habits. As a parent, you are in charge of providing healthy foods. I often hear parents lamenting that their child “only eats junk food” but if we are being honest with ourselves, we realize the children are not the food purchasers in the house. If you do not want your child to eat “junk food” the answer is simple – don’t buy it! It is a child’s responsibility to choose what and how much they eat. You cannot force a child to eat – the most helpful thing for a parent to do is provide healthy foods and then allow for the child to choose.  

• If healthy choices are what is provided, he or she will eat those healthy foods.  Do not cook a second meal if the first is not eaten. 

• Do not offer snacks constantly throughout the day. Rather, allow your child to experience the feeling of fullness and hunger, this will teach him or her to listen to the body’s cues regarding food and appetite. 

• Do not make your child eat everything on the plate. The “clean plate club” should be a thing of the past, as it encourages children to eat past the feeling of fullness and promotes overeating and obesity. 

• If your child struggles with eating too much food at once (remember our discussion of portion sizes), try using smaller plates.

What about drinks?

American children drink a ridiculous amount of calories. There is extra sugar and therefore extra calories in juices, sodas, sweet teas, flavored milks, sports drinks – all of which are targeted towards children. It is important to get your child used to drinking water and milk (whole until 2 years of age, then low-fat) from an early age. 

Resources

MyPlate: https://www.choosemyplate.gov/

Healthy Children .org links for healthy eating: 

https://www.healthychildren.org/English/healthy-living/nutrition/Pages/MyPlate.aspx

https://www.healthychildren.org/English/healthy-living/nutrition/Pages/The-Clean-Plate-Club.aspx

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