How to Help Your Child Eat Healthy

Your child’s nutrition is important to his/ her overall health and well being.  Good nutrition is important for preventing obesity, diabetes, and high blood pressure.  You can help by setting a good example.  Most parents do not realize how many calories a child is consuming, how little exercise the child gets, and how limited the child’s diet is unless it is documented for them to see.  So we recommend a good place to start with your child is to do a one week Food and Exercise Diary.  Once this is documented, you can find the areas that need improvement.  If you have concerns please contact your child’s pediatrician.

TIPS FOR A HEALTHY DIET:

  • Encourage low fat milk with meals and water in between
  • Restrict juice to 4 oz/day.  Juice should only be given if your child is over 6 months old.
  • Use less sugar and cut back on sweets.  Limit candy, honey, sugar, cake, jelly, sodas, Kool-aid and sugar coated cereals.
  • Find alternatives to sweets like fresh berries, fat free frozen yogurt and puddings.  Switch to Crystal Light, diet sodas, and other sugar free beverages.
  • Encourage vegetables and fruits with each meal.
  • Eat chicken and fish instead of red meat.
  • Put snacks on a plate instead of eating out of a bag.
  • Eat smaller portions by putting on smaller plates, cups, and bowls.
  • Eat less fat in your diet:
    • Trim fat and skin from meat and chicken
    • Choose lower fat dairy products
    • Cut down on margarine, butter, mayonnaise, gravy, dressings
    • Bake, broil, grill, roast or stew foods instead of frying
    • Use non-stick cooking sprays instead of oil or margarine
  • NEVER EAT WHILE WATCHING TV.
  • EAT AS A FAMILY AT THE TABLE.

 

ADDRESS
Bluestone Pediatrics
4059 Quarles Court
Rockingham, VA 22801

PHONE

Phone number: (540) 437-4800
Fax #: (540) 437-9012

Billing Office: (540) 434-1512

After-hours and weekend emergency phone number: (540) 432-7311

APPOINTMENTS
CHECK-UPS AND SICK VISITS

MONDAY – FRIDAY
8:00 A.M. – 5:00 P.M.

WALK-IN HOURS
ACUTE ILLNESS ONLY:

MONDAY — FRIDAY
8:00 AM — 9:00 AM

SATURDAY
9:00 AM — 11:00 AM

SUNDAY
9:00 AM — 11:00 AM

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