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.