With childhood obesity skyrocketing, more attention needs to be paid to what we feed our kids. Parents may try to encourage their kids to eat healthfully but cave when the kids beg for the treats they see on television. Underfunded school lunch programs and demands on our patience and time make healthy eating challenging--but it doesn't have to be. Learn to identify unhealthy foods for your children and strive to give them the healthiest choices most of the time.
Step 1
Focus on foods that are close to nature--think naturally, brightly colored food. Introduce your kids to nature's rainbow of orange bell peppers, purple eggplant, red apples, green broccoli, yellow bananas and blue berries. Buy oranges rather than an orange juice drink, low-fat cheese rather than cheese puffs and roast chicken rather than processed, compressed chicken nuggets.
Step 2
Stay away from man-made brightly colored food. Nix the fruit snacks, glowing cheese crackers and blue frosting. Don't feed your children food with colors that can't be found in nature, as these dyes and additives have been linked to ADHD and other disorders.
Step 3
Read the ingredient list on snack foods. Avoid trans fats (partially hydrogenated oils), saturated fat, high fructose corn syrup, artificial sweeteners (aspartame, acesulfame K) nitrates and nitrites. Buy food when you recognize all the ingredients as natural food products--for example, look for pizza snacks that include only whole grain flour, cheese, tomato sauce and seasoning.
Step 4
Don't fall for manufacturers' claims. Watch out for candy disguised as health food, such as chocolate-dipped granola bars with candy bits. Don't buy "pretend produce" such as fruit snacks, which are gummy candies enhanced with vitamin C.
Step 5
Scan food labels for sugar. Be particularly vigilant with yogurts (some of which contain more sugar than candy), breakfast cereals and condiments (ketchup, salad dressings and relish). Sweeten unsweetened yogurt with a teaspoon of honey or sprinkle a teaspoon of sugar over plain cheerios so you control the amount.
Step 6
Choose whole grains, and make sure whole wheat, stone-ground wheat, quinoa, oats or another whole grain is the first or second ingredient. Avoid products that claim to be whole grain but have only 1 g of fiber per serving, listing the whole grain way down in the ingredient list.
Tips and Warnings
- An occasional treat is fine, but daily consumption of cookies, candy and sugary drinks contributes to weight gain.
Member Comments