Harvey Howard is the owner of My Gym Children’s Fitness Center in Cherry Hill, New Jersey. He is a certified special education teacher, elementary teacher, guidance counselor, and student assistance professional located in New Jersey. He explains what foods should make the basis on any healthy diet.
Children’s food habits start young. In fact, the majority of these habits and preferences for children are well established by the time the child is 5 years old. So if the child is already eating unhealthy food by that time, it is going to be even more of a struggle as they older.
To get their kids started on the right path, some parents use a food grinder to make their own baby foods. That way, the parent knows exactly what is in the food they are serving their child from a young age.
As they get a little older and begin eating solids, children should start right away eating whole foods and fruits like apples, oranges, and bananas—although bananas are a heavy food, and you don’t want to feed your young child more than three bananas a week. In terms of whole grains, parents should make sure to give their children enough complex carbohydrates, in pastas and breads, as well. Whole grains breads are better than white breads, and brown rice is better than white rice. It’s really about getting rid of empty calories where you can, without eliminating any food groups altogether.
Another thing parents should be sure their children are getting enough of is protein. Many kids aren’t getting enough protein in their diet, or they aren’t getting enough variety with it. People don’t realize this, but there are a variety of forms of protein when you start talking about vegetable proteins and animal proteins. Three-fifths of the world is vegetarian—and they obviously survive without animal products—so your kids can, too. In fact, a bigger percentage of kids around the world are raised as vegetarians, so there may be something to that. Kids don’t need to be loaded up on animal products just to make sure they get enough protein. There are many other ways to get it as well.
Snacks are another big issue for kids. I believe snacks are something that should be available. The more parents can get their kids to start reaching for something healthy when they are hungry, like fruit, the better. That’s as opposed to not allowing them to have snacks because it isn’t dinner time, which many parents do.
Instead of refusing your child snacks or worrying that he is eating too much of the wrong foods, slice up apples or red bell peppers and let them have that. Red bell peppers are extremely high in vitamin C and are an excellent snack for kids. Plus, they taste great. If you get your kids hooked on that type of snacking, then you’re way ahead of the game.
No matter what your child is eating, though, getting his metabolism up is also important. That’s why getting children involved in fitness at a place like My Gym, where they can run, have fun, and rev up their metabolism at the same time, is so important.
Finally, parents need to realize that if they are not eating healthy foods, their kids won’t want to either. Kids want whatever Mom and Dad eat. That’s the power of the family culture in today’s society. So parents can take advantage of that by modeling good, healthy eating habits for their kids from a young age.
The information in the article is not intended to substitute for the medical expertise and advice of your healthcare provider. We encourage you to discuss any decisions about treatment or care with an appropriate healthcare provider.
