Eating Right

Getting Your Kids to Eat and Stay Healthy

“Eat your vegetables!” It’s a cliche line, but for many parents, it’s a constant struggle to get their kids to eat better. Yet even parents can slip up and find it’s easier to give into junk food or using sweets as a reward for good behavior.   If you want to improve your child’s health—and the health of your whole family—then you can follow these guidelines for healthy meals.   1. Improve your family’s lunch and dinner menu. It’s all right for kids to have sugary cereals and starchy foods for breakfast, but during the rest of the day, they should have more protein and fiber in their diet. That means giving them more fruits, vegetables, and low-fat meat and dairy products.   2. Cut down on high-calorie drinks. Sodas are a huge contributor to childhood obesity and Type II diabetes. For better alternatives, try water, milk, or fruit juice (preferably with low sugar and little to no artificial ingredients).   3. Don’t worry if kids don’t clean their plate. Overeating is a common factor in childhood obesity and other pediatric health issues. When kids feel like they need to clean their plate, they’re likely to stuff themselves until their stomachs feel full. To promote better eating habits, let your child know it’s okay if they leave a little on their plate. The point is that they eat until their bodies feel satisfied, not for your satisfaction.   4. Offer less sweets like candy and chips. Dessert shouldn’t automatically occur right after dinner. If kids are always expecting something sweet on a daily or weekly basis, then they won’t care about nutrition or appreciate candy. Reserve the sweet stuff for special occasions like parties and holidays.   5. Reduce their time in front of a screen. The more time kids spend sitting in front of a screen, the more fat their bodies build up. Encourage them to run around for a bit or do some stretches. Set regular breaks away from the TV or the computer. See if there’s a sport or outdoor club that they might like to get involved in.   6. Develop your own good habits. Kids pick up all their parents’ habits by watching them from a young age—both their good and bad habits. It’s important for parents to examine their own lifestyle and diet for inspiration that they can give their children. Look for ways to cut down on how much junk food you eat. Spend a few extra minutes doing some exercise, even if it’s by going out for a walk after dinner.   Image:  USDAgov on Flickr

Healthy Mac N Cheese Recipe

Kids love mac n cheese. It’s a fact. You ask a kid to list his or her favorite foods and inevitably mac n cheese will come up, probably right alongside pizza. But as a parent, you might be worried about your kids health when it comes to eating mac n cheese. And when talking about the processed stuff you get in a box or the extra gooey, cheesy, rich mac n cheese you can make at home, you’d be right. There is a way to make your kids’ favorite without sacrificing their health.   Making this recipe will get your kids excited about eating healthy. Your kids will see that eating healthy does not have to be at the expense of taste. And they will want to come sit at the family dinner table for a meal. The trick is to substitute low-fat options whenever possible, but your kids don’t need to know that.   Ingredients: 1 box whole-wheat macaroni (100% whole wheat provides more nutrients). 1 tablespoon unsalted butter 2 tablespoons flour ½ cup skim milk (low fat is also an option)

Homemade Granola Bars Recipe

Granola bars are great for kids. They’re easy to transport, so you can pack them up in your kids lunch box and send them off to school for your kids to have as either a snack or to round out a meal. They make a good on-the-go breakfast that still has the nutrients to have your kids eating healthy and prepare them for the day ahead. Breakfast is an essential meal that should not be skipped, but often, school day mornings are hectic and there isn’t any time for a sit down breakfast. You can make granola bars ahead of time and they will be the perfect treat for your kids to grab as they are running out of the house or as a quick snack before going out to play.   Granola bars are also great for your kids health. They are a light snack but still pack a nutritional punch. They are chock full of nuts and other great health food snacks that will curb hunger and help your kids lead an active, healthy life. You don’t have to go to the store to buy them. The best granola bars are the kind you make at home because you can control what ingredients go into them and cooking them can also serve as a fun activity for you and your kids to do together. There are many variations, so feel free to play around with the recipe. Here are the basic steps to get you started.   Ingredients: 2 cups rolled oats ( Make sure to get the old-fashioned rolled kind and not the instant) ½ cup sunflower seeds (You can also substitute flax or chia seeds). 1 cup almonds, sliced (You can substitute any kind of nut here, walnuts work great for example). ½ toasted wheat germ (This is where you get tons of extra vitamins, minerals, and protein. It also has a nice nutty flavor. Be sure it’s fresh as wheat germ can easily go rancid). ½ cup honey (A great natural sweetener). 3 tablespoons peanut butter (You can use unsalted butter, but the peanut butter adds extra flavor and nutrients). 1 teaspoon vanilla extract A pinch of salt 1 ½ cups dried fruit (Use a combo of three, ½ cup each. You can use cranberries, cherries, blueberries, dates, apricots, or any other dried fruit).   Directions: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spread the first four ingredients onto a sheet pan and toast in the oven for 15 minutes. Combine the liquid ingredients in a saucepan and heat on top of the stove on medium until smooth. Grease a baking dish. Combine wet and dry ingredients in the dish, add the dried fruit and stir until it all comes together. Make sure the ingredients are spread out evenly. Press into the baking dish so you have a flat surface. Reduce the oven to 300 degrees. Return baking dish to oven. Bake for 25 minutes. Remove the baking dish from the oven and allow to cool. Cut granola into bars or squares and place in an airtight container. The bars will keep for up to two weeks in the refrigerator. The recipe should yield 8 bars. Image by Brown Eyed Baker on Flickr Creative Commons.

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