Make Good Nutrition a Habit

Teaching children good eating habits is similar to everything else kid-related: it takes consistency and patience on your part for the lesson to get through.

But that doesn’t mean it can’t be fun for both of you.

Big Picture Points

Give your child some choice. Nutritionists agree that a parent’s job is to provide a structure of regular meals and snacks, and to determine the foods offered. It’s a child’s job to select from those foods what to eat and how much.

Get rid of “good” and “bad” foods. The American Dietetic Association says classifying foods such as vegetables as “good,” and candy and sweets as “bad,” can encourage children to ignore one group and overindulge in the other. Instead, present the foods needed each day for good health in a neutral way. Allow some treats as well, but provide these in a neutral way as well.

Eliminate meal-time distractions. Make it a rule that the TV goes off when food goes on the table. Everyone will enjoy their meal more and be more sensitive to body signals that they’re full. This will also keep kids from eating in front of the television. You might also consider eliminating radios and reading at the table, too.

There’s more to food than eating. Help kids develop a greater appreciation for food by involving them in vegetable gardening, grocery shopping and meal preparation. If they’re interested, consider signing them up for a kids’ cooking class as well.

Fun with Fruits and Vegetables

Try these unusual ways to incorporate more fruits and vegetables into your child’s diet:

Try peanut butter and ———. Instead of a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, experiment with peanut butter and bananas, peanut butter and sliced apples, peanut butter and raisins, peanut butter and shredded carrots… Give your child 2–3 choices and let them select their favorite, or ask them to be creative.

Frozen fruit bars are cool. Freeze 100% fruit juice for a treat that’s fun.

Frozen grapes are, too. Wash and dry individual seedless grapes, place them in a plastic bag and then pop them in the freezer for an hour or more.

Include crunch. When making a sandwich, toss in sliced cucumber, arugula, radishes, celery, red or green pepper or water chestnuts.

Better Brown Bag Lunches

You want to pack a lunch that’s nutritious. Your child wants one that’s fun and tastes good. Use these tips to make both of you happy.

Start with variety. Try to pack something from each of the food groups in every lunch. Vary your choices and keep it interesting.

Feature favorites. Ask your child to make a list of favorites from each of the food groups, and rely on this for the basics.

Sandwich surprises. Go beyond peanut butter and jelly. Try low-fat lunch meats, cheeses, grilled vegetables and chicken, tuna and egg salads (extra points for using less or low-fat mayonnaise). And try not-so basic breads like bagels, rolls, pitas and English muffins. (Use whole-grain varieties wherever possible.)

Non-sandwich selections. Include pasta salad made with fun-shaped, tri-colored pasta. Create a mini-pizza on a tortilla or pita. Roll meat and cheese slices in a tortilla and slice into pinwheels.

Milk and more. Send milk money with your child each day. Otherwise, pack a Thermos™. Choose cheese in all its forms: wedges, cubes and sticks. And yogurt and pudding cups are always appreciated for dessert.

Deluxe dips. Baby carrots, celery sticks, red and green pepper rings, zucchini wheels and cucumber slices are good, and even better when dipped in low-fat ranch dressing, salsa or hummus (chick pea dip). The fun continues with fruit. Sliced apples and pears, strawberries or grapes are all great dipped in any flavor of yogurt.

Pack a punch. Slip a surprise and a little love into lunches. Kids love an all-round lunch with foods that are all circles. An all-red lunch could feature spaghetti, red grapes, strawberry-flavored milk and red fruit leather. Backwards lunches include sandwiches with meat and cheese around a slice of bread and instructions (written in reverse?) to eat dessert first. Try cutting sandwiches into puzzle pieces or little circles.

Keep it hot and cool. For safety’s sake, make sure hot foods stay hot and cold foods stay cold. Use an insulated lunch bag or kid-sized cooler. Include an ice pack or make one out of a frozen bottle of water or 100% juice box. A Thermos™ keeps soups, casseroles and chili hot and delicious.