Clean Your Plate Is Not Always The Way To Go For Healthy Kids
Below is a MRR and PLR article in category Home Family -> subcategory Parenting.
"Clean Your Plate" Isn’t Always Best for Healthy Kids
Obesity rates among children in the United States have surged over the past 30 years. Rates have more than doubled for preschoolers and adolescents, and more than tripled for children aged 6 to 11. Obese children face higher risks of health issues like diabetes and heart disease, which can persist into adulthood.
How Can Parents Encourage Healthier Eating?
"Consult your pediatrician, family doctor, or a registered dietitian to set healthy weight goals for the whole family," advises nutrition expert Jenifer Bland-Campbell. Once you have a plan, try these tips to promote healthier eating habits:
- Share Meals Together: Encourage at least one family meal daily at consistent times to reduce snacking.
- Unified Meals: Prepare nutritious dishes for everyone, rather than special meals for an overweight child.
- Avoid Food as a Tool: Don’t use food as a reward, comfort, or punishment.
- Mind Portion Sizes: Encourage children to listen to their hunger cues rather than insisting on a clean plate.
- Eat Slowly: Give the brain about 20 minutes to signal fullness.
- Choose Healthy Drinks: Opt for water, skim milk, or 1% milk instead of sugary drinks.
- Colorful Produce: Aim for at least five servings of fruits and vegetables daily. Make it fun by focusing on colorful options. For more tips, visit [5aday.org](http://www.5aday.org).
- Switch to Low-Fat Options: Use low-fat or fat-free condiments and dairy products at home. Kids will follow your example. Request the same when dining out.
- Encourage Activity: Take the stairs instead of the elevator, and park farther from store entrances.
- Limit Screen Time: Reduce television, video game, and computer use.
- Smart Substitutions: Replace mayonnaise and cheese on sandwiches with ketchup, mustard, or barbecue sauce.
- Healthier Cooking Methods: Choose baked, broiled, steamed, or poached options over fried foods.
- Request Nutritional Information: When dining out, ask for nutritional details.
- Explore Beyond Children’s Menus: Kids’ menus often offer fried, high-calorie foods. Consider sharing a healthier adult entrée between children.
- Be Proactive with Portions: Request a takeout container when the meal is served to set aside some of the food.
- Serve Extras with the Meal: Request that bread, drinks, and chips are served with the main course, not before.
"Parents can guide their children towards wellness by initiating healthy changes at home and teaching them how to make smart choices elsewhere," says Bland-Campbell. Healthy eating habits develop over time, and children learn by observing their parents.
Jenifer Bland-Campbell is a registered dietitian with ARAMARK, a company that manages food service programs in various settings, including approximately 4,000 schools nationwide. For more insights into away-from-home nutritional preferences and expert tips, visit ARAMARK's website at [diningstyle.com](http://www.diningstyle.com).
You can find the original non-AI version of this article here: Clean Your Plate Is Not Always The Way To Go For Healthy Kids.
You can browse and read all the articles for free. If you want to use them and get PLR and MRR rights, you need to buy the pack. Learn more about this pack of over 100 000 MRR and PLR articles.