What to Avoid if You Want Your Child to Eat Healthy Food

For most children’s nutrition it is recommended that they eat three meals a day and two nutritious snacks, limiting high sugar and high fat foods. Starting to teach your child to have healthier eating habits can prevent many medical problems, including; obesity, osteoporosis, and developing diabetes. How do you know what foods to avoid id you want your child to eat nutritious foods? Let’s look at some childhood nutrition recommendations.

The best nutrition advice for your children’s nutritional needs is as follows:

•Eat a variety of foods
•Balance the food he eats with physical activity
•Choose a diet with plenty of grain products, vegetables and fruits
•Choose a diet low in fat, saturated fat, and cholesterol
•Choose a diet moderate in sugars and salt
•Choose a diet that provides enough calcium and iron to meet his growing body’s requirements
•Cut out fast food, caffeine and juice

The most common mistakes parents make in childhood nutrition are as follows:

•Switching to whole milk before a baby is twelve months old.
•Not giving their kids enough milk or other calcium rich foods.
•Giving their kids fruit drinks instead of 100% fruit juice. Many of the more popular products that parents buy are not actually 100% fruit juice.
•Letting their kids drink soda, tea, and other drinks with caffeine.
•Allowing their kids too get too many calories from the things they drink, whether it is soda, fruit drinks, or 100% fruit juice and not encouraging their kids to drink water.
•Making serving sizes too large, this is a common way that kids get too many calories.
•Eating too much fast food.

Many experts agree on disagree on feeding your child food that appear nutritious. Raisins are a common snack that some experts feel are fine for your child while others argue that it leads to cavities and has supplemental sugar added to taste better.

Caffeine and soda beverages are not nutritious foods; in fact they are “empty calories”. Caffeine is a stimulant that interferes with sleep and can cause addiction. Many parents unknowingly give their child caffeine from certain medications, coffee ice cream, and chocolate. Water and milk are the healthiest drinks for your child and limited amounts of 100% fruit juice. The side effects of caffeine are irritability, hypertension, headaches, bedwetting and acid reflux.

Since childhood obesity has reached epidemic levels it is important to have healthy snacks in your home. Throwing out the potato chips, candy bars and sugary cereals can help your child loose the extra weight they may have consumed. Have healthy snacks available in your cupboards. Studies have shown that two-thirds of overweight kids become overweight adults.

Taking the time to understand the children’s nutritional recommendations can go a long way to helping your child avoid obesity that leads to diabetes and heart disease. Knowing that your toddler is a picky eater and will not consume the same foods they consumed as an infant will help you make proper decisions for their nutritional diet. Encourage healthier food for your child by purchasing healthier foods such as milk, fruits, whole-grain bread, vegetables, and avoid fast food, caffeine, juice and soda. Always have a variety of food available and balance the foods your child eats with proper physical activity.

Be smart about the foods you purchase by reading the labels. If you notice how much sugar is in certain foods; you might surprise yourself if you thought that food was healthy. Avoid high fat, high sugar foods and teach your child to eat a proper, balanced diet.