Putting it delicately, many Americans of child bearing age have suboptimal dietary habits. We put a lot of emphasis on telling ourselves what not to eat rather than celebrating and enjoying the foods that are good for us. Instead of passing these misguided notions down to your offspring, teach kids to like real, whole foods.
Getting used to the taste of new foods is weird. Using a little cheese on broccoli, ranch dressing for carrots, or chocolate in milk helps cultivate tastes for these foods and that’s beneficial in the long run.
On 2/23/2015, the American Academy of Pediatrics released new guidelines for children’s nutrition. They focus on improving children’s diets by teaching children what they should eat, not what they shouldn’t.
The Journal of Pediatrics recommends five steps to promoting good child nutrition:
Just like adults, if kids are full from healthful foods, they aren’t going to want as many treats.
http://www.aap.org/en-us/about-the-aap/aap-press-room/aap-press-room-media-center/Pages/Understanding-Portion-Sizes.aspx
Getting used to the taste of new foods is weird. Using a little cheese on broccoli, ranch dressing for carrots, or chocolate in milk helps cultivate tastes for these foods and that’s beneficial in the long run.
On 2/23/2015, the American Academy of Pediatrics released new guidelines for children’s nutrition. They focus on improving children’s diets by teaching children what they should eat, not what they shouldn’t.
The Journal of Pediatrics recommends five steps to promoting good child nutrition:
- Represent all 5 food groups; vegetables, fruits, whole grains, dairy, and lean protein.
- Give your kids a variety of foods from all 5 food groups each week.
- Real food. The less processed, the better. Always!
- Get a little help from fat and sugar. Keep it minimal, but use these yummy flavors to help refine tastes for nutrient dense foods.
- Make sure that serving sizes are appropriate for small bodies. There is a link below for help with this.
Just like adults, if kids are full from healthful foods, they aren’t going to want as many treats.
http://www.aap.org/en-us/about-the-aap/aap-press-room/aap-press-room-media-center/Pages/Understanding-Portion-Sizes.aspx