4 Ways to Create Healthy Diets for Kids

1. Get the Facts

There has been a movement in America to remove vending machines out of schools, and for good reason. When soda pop displaces milk consumption, children can't get adequate calcium in their diets. Kids need adequate calcium for bone strength and growth, so be sure your children are getting at least 3 or 4 servings from the dairy group daily. There are loads of nutrition resources available, so check your facts. Parents can check out www.superkidsnutrition.com for accurate nutrition information applied to all aspects of the life cycle, from pregnancy to toddlers to teens.

2. Get a Grip on Kid-Sized Portions

Portions are out of control. Fast food and fine dining alike serve portions that are double or triple an appropriate amount for adults, so clearly are serving up too many calories to children. Serve small portions to your children at home, and do not get lured in to "big kids" meals that will surely turn your child into a big, unhealthy kid.

3. Play With Your Food

Encouraging a child to take part in food selection and preparation encourages the child to try more types of food. Allow your child to grocery shop with you and help prepare simple things in the kitchen. For a young child, this could be getting whole-wheat crackers onto a plate. For an older child, it could mean slicing an apple, helping peel potatoes or scrambling an egg.

Let your child know that he does not have to eat every new food, but offer a small amount at the table or on his plate, and allow him to look at it, smell it and touch it; eventually he may put it to his mouth. At that point, you can even give him permission to politely spit it into a napkin if he does not like it. The more exposure a child has to a new food, the more likely she will eat a varied diet. It can take up to 10 exposures or more for a child to say "Yes" to a new food. The parents' role is to expose children to variety of foods and good eating habits (sitting down to eat without distraction, eating slowly). It is the child's responsibility to eat. Allow them to enjoy the process.

4. If You Slice it, They Will Eat

Young children often have a hard time eating fruits with tough skins, so if you slice the apple or pear, they will eat more of it. When children get home from school or practice, they are hungry. Have a plate of sliced fruit with sliced cheese ready and they will grab it. Have sliced carrots and bell peppers available with a low fat dip to offer with dinner as an option to the cooked vegetable.