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.