Hi everyone,
My mom told me about this article which appeared in their local newspaper this morning. I had a look at the piece on their website and thought it was worth posting for everyone to read. Although some of the "tips" might be common knowledge, there were a few other good pointers - and besides, it's always worth reiterating the obvious anyway.
Enjoy!
Beth x (28+4)
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Healthy eating habits start at table, report shows
By Barbara Quinn
KRT News Service
Wondering what guidelines you should follow when it comes to feeding your kid? Here's some help from a recent report by the American Heart Association:
• Save fat-free milk for youngsters 2 years and older. Before that, breast milk is best for infants the first 12 months of life. From age 1 to 2, reduced-fat (2 percent) milk is appropriate.
• Remove extra juice from your child's diet. Kids need no juice until they can drink it from a cup at around 6 months of age. Limit juice to no more than 4 to 6 ounces (about 1/2 cup) a day ... and make sure it's 100 percent fruit juice.
• Add several bites of fruit and vegetables to each meal. By age 1, a child needs about 1/2 cup of vegetables and 1 cup of fruit each day. By the time the little bundle is a teen, daily meals should include 2 cups of fruit and 3 cups of vegetables.
• Incorporate some healthful fats into your child's diet, such as the monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats found in fish, nuts and vegetables oils. (Note: Commercially fried fish such as the cute little fish-sticky things generally have less omega-3 fats and do not provide the same benefits as other types of fish.)
• Upgrade your feeding skills. Parents, you decide what and when and where your child eats - what foods are appropriate for meals, when it's time for a snack and where dinner is eaten. Kids decide whether they will eat and how much they eat.
• Don't file away new foods too soon. Children may need to experience a food up to 10 times before they decide to accept it into eating habits.
• Allow kids to monitor their own intake. Kids who are pressured too much to eat or not to eat certain foods can crash into worse eating habits.
• Troubleshoot how your kids spend free time. Limit computer and television time to no more than one or two hours a day, say experts. And, because of its association with childhood obesity, experts recommend no television sets in a child's bedroom.
• Don't forget that exercise is important, too. Kids need at least one hour of active play and other physical activities each day.
• Remember the importance of family meals. At a table ... without the television or the computer. Research shows kids have more healthful eating patterns and even develop better use of words and vocabulary when they spend time with other family members over meals.
• Back up your words with actions. Most kids learn (right or wrong) by what they see Mom and Dad do.
