Getting Kids Hooked on Healthy Eating

There are many ways to help kids develop a healthy relationship with food.

Putting the Pieces Together

Think of healthy eating like a fun jigsaw puzzle -- each piece is an important part of the whole picture, and no piece can replace another. Likewise, no food is good or bad in itself; what makes a diet good or bad is whether the pieces all fit together.

For a good fit, every day choose different kinds of foods, and focus on grain products, vegetables and fruit, adding milk and meats + alternatives ("everyday" foods). Remember moderation -- if you are full after one piece of pizza, it's all you need. Keep foods like candies, pop and chips as occasional treats ("sometimes" foods).

In the healthy living equation, exercise is also important. Many kids, despite eating well, are becoming obese -- a lack of exercise deserves at least part of the blame. Many 11- to 15-year-old Canadian girls said they were not active even half an hour a week outside of school hours!

Activities that children can stick with and enjoy beyond their school years -- riding a bike, skating, walking, volleyball, swimming, hockey, soccer, tennis, skiing, dance -- should be encouraged.

Evaluating Food on the Tube

Does it seem that your children want to buy every food they see advertised on TV? Don't despair; thinking positively can turn this into a learning experience. Together, find out more about the foods being promoted and how they can fit into the healthy eating puzzle.

Help children discover what advertising is all about. Get the discussion rolling by asking what methods (animation, music, celebrities...) the manufacturer is using to sell the product. Which of these methods influence how interested your kids are in the product, or their image of it? Does their favourite athlete pique their interest in the cereal?

What is the message, or what is the ad promising about the cookies? Will you be "cool" or have more energy if you buy them? Do your children believe it?

Finally, challenge kids to see how the product stacks up to its promise -- by trying one out! Make it even more fun by comparing two similar products -- look at the cost, convenience, packaging, food value and taste.

Healthy Snacks to Grow On

Growing children often need to refuel between meals. When it comes to snacks, they tend to be in charge of their choices. Make available tasty, nutritious snacks that kids enjoy and can reach for easily.

Use your imagination:

crunchy snacks -- an apple, celery sticks with peanut butter, dry cereal...
light snacks -- a yoghurt drink, a fruit juice popsicle, plain popcorn, an orange...
hearty snacks -- leftover pizza, fig and other fruit bars, cheese and crackers, dried fruit and nuts...
snacks to chase away chills -- hot cocoa, toast with honey, oatmeal, instant soup...

This article was published by the National Institute of Nutrition, Fall 1995.

Posted by: National Institute of Nutrition, September 1996.