Originally published September 27 2005
Easy tips to help teach children with nutrition
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, NaturalNews Editor
Including your children in grocery shopping and meal planning can be a great way to teach them about nutrition, as long as you introduce them to healthy choices.
It's no mystery --- more and more American children are overweight because of poor eating and exercise habits.
But parents can help prevent problems by letting kids play a big part in picking out their own nutritious foods, said Southeast Dairy Association spokeswoman Kelly Schriver.
Including kids in grocery shopping and meal planning is a great way to teach them about nutrition, she said.
Before heading to the store, take stock of what's in the kitchen.
If kids can choose high-fat snacks, cookies and candies, they probably will.
But if they are offered only healthy choices, they'll eat those.
"The parent's role is to provide a healthy environment and then let kids make the choices," Schriver said.
Good snack choices to keep on hand include yogurt cartons, string cheese, sliced fruit and vegetables and dipping sauces or whole-grain cereals, Schriver said.
She recommended washing and chopping fruits and vegetables right after you return from the grocery store and keeping them readily available along with a yogurt dip.
The school cafeteria should be serving up healthy lunches --- even favorite choices such as pizza are usually made with part-skim mozzarella or low-fat sausage, Schriver said.
"Get a really cool container, and come up with your own substitute ingredients for each part of the container," Schriver said.
Wraps and smoothies are both popular and can be easily made at home.
Pack fresh fruit and yogurt smoothies in a thermos and make a quick wrap with a whole-wheat tortilla, deli turkey and low-fat cheese.
Finally, follow through with nutritious choices for dinner, even if hectic schedules dictate fast food.
"If you are going to dash through the drive-through, pick restaurants that offer healthy choices," Schriver said.
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