Healthy Eating for Children

Feeding a child healthy food can sometimes be a challenge. However, children love to imitate and learn from their caregivers. The best way to make sure your child eats well, is to eat well yourself. Do sit down to meals, eat calmly, chew thoroughly, and remember to eat your vegetables. Enjoy whole grains such as brown rice, whole wheat, rye, oat, and beans such as , lentils, soy and kidney beans. Keep your intake of animal fats low, and avoid hydrogenated vegetable oils. Include adequate levels of protein, minerals such as calcium. Minimize "junk food", refined foods with artificial ingredients and too much sugar. Dr. van Loon can work with you individually if you need more assistance and support in deciding what exactly is missing from your diet, and how to get it in the easiest and best way possible. Sure, this advice may sound easier to give than to take, but a healthy diet is very important to a developing child, and can pay off in fewer colds and flus, less irritability, and better performance at school and in sports.

So, how do you convince your child to eat better? Start by setting a good example. Enjoy your food, and let your children know how good it is (this may backfire if you are not truthful!) Give children some choice, so that they can fell a little control over their food. Make eating fun, encourage children to play with their food. Don't be shy about dressing food up a little - a great example is making a mountain out of a mound of mashed potatoes, and adding sprigs of broccoli -"trees" - to play avalanche or clear cut. Promote a happy atmosphere at the table.

The following is a list of ideas, compiled by many creative children and parents.

Dipping: Toddlers love to play with food. High protein dips can include yogurt (there is a soy version for children with dairy sensitivities), guacamole (squashed avocado), pureed vegetables and tofu or beans, cheese sauce. Other dips could include apple sauce, salsa, or nut butters. Use toast, crackers, rice cakes, pasta, vegetables (beware of choking hazards) for dippers.

Dipping trays: An ice cub tray or muffin tin makes a great dipping dish. Put different dips and dippers into the various compartments for variety and fun. Give foods imaginative and fun names such as avocado boats (1/4 avocado sectioned), broccoli trees, apple moons (peeled apple slices)

Tofu: can be added to many foods to improve protein and calcium content. For example. soft tofu can be cubed and added to soup, or blended into a fruit smoothie.

Smoothies: Use fruit juices, soy milk, rice milk as a base. In the blender add fruit - bananas and berries work particularly well, but almost anything will do. You can add soft tofu to increase the nutritional content, or rice or soy protein powder. Flax oil, at about 1 tsp per serving, can often be added as well - one company makes a butterscotch flavour for kids.

This article is of a general nature and is not intended as treatment advice. Please contact your health care provider before undertaking any course of treatment.

Copyright 2000 Dr. Isis van Loon.