
Feature/General
Helping Kids Make Healthy Eating and Activity
Choices
By Katie Calkin, ARMC Health Education
March 2004
One out of every five children in the U.S. is overweight. That
is about 10 million kids! Below are some tips for how you can help
your kids make healthy eating and activity choices.
Respect hunger
Help kids learn their bodies’ hunger and fullness signals.
Remove the focus from cleaning plates or controlling portions.
Teach kids by example to fuel their bodies and enjoy a variety
of foods when they feel hungry, and to stop eating when they feel
comfortably full. Help kids recognize when they may be eating for
a reason other than hunger, such as boredom or sadness. Help them
figure out how to entertain or comfort themselves in other ways.
Respect body size
Be mindful of not commenting negatively on your own body or your
child’s body. Talk about what messages movies, TV, and magazines
give about what is a beautiful body. Talk with your kids about
how healthy bodies come in all different shapes and sizes.
Start the day with breakfast
Kids who skip breakfast have a harder time concentrating in school.
They usually make up for the calories by eating more later in the
day and may be so hungry that they aren’t as careful what
they choose to eat. Breakfast doesn’t have to be a sit down
meal – a peanut butter sandwich eaten on the way to school
is a healthy breakfast. It is a good idea to have at least two
food groups from the food pyramid for breakfast (for example, cereal
and milk or grits and a banana).
Make the most of school lunches
Each week take a look at the school lunch menu with your child.
Let them be in charge of the planning their meals, but help them
identify some healthy choices for each day. Offer to pack a lunch
some days or supplement the lunch menu they choose with some healthy
foods from home. Don’t make any foods “forbidden.” Not
every meal has to be balanced. The emphasis should be on making
most of the food choices healthy. It is a good idea to have at
least three food groups from the food pyramid for lunch.
Pack a punch with snacks
If there are “junk foods” that you don’t want
your kids to eat for snacks, don’t keep them in the house.
Make healthy snacking as easy as opening a bag of chips. Keep the
refrigerator stocked with cut up vegetables and fruits and low
fat dips that are easy to grab. Let younger kids make snacks such
as peanut butter in celery with raisins on top. Allow older kids
to have fun creating their own smoothies with fruit and yogurt.
Want
to Learn More?
“My Choice”Teaches Tools
for Healthy Living
|
ARMC’s My Choice
program teaches young people (10-14 year olds) tools for
making healthy choices and teaches parents ways to support
their children. In My Choice we learn about balanced nutrition,
physical activity and exercise, healthy cooking, body image
and self-esteem, and healthy choices eating out. Each class
has an exercise session and we do special activities such
as skating, strength training and water exercises.
In My Choice, the youth are “players” who
earn points each week for their healthy behaviors such
as drinking water, eating a healthy breakfast, eating fruits
and vegetables, exercising, and limiting recreational TV
and computer time. Over time, these practices become their
new normal habits. Healthy behaviors are rewarded but unhealthy
ones are not punished. This positive approach can help
decrease the struggle that some families have over eating
and activity habits.
My Choice is for parents, too. Support of the whole family
is key for success. Parents, guardians, or grandparents
who take the class become “coaches.” Coaches
are responsible for providing healthy food options and
opportunities to exercise. Coaches are encouraged to involve
the whole family at home since eating healthy and exercising
benefits all family members regardless of weight. Parents
can learn how to better shop for their families on our
grocery store tour. To find out more, call ARMC’s
Health Education department at 475-5620.
|
Make dinner matter
Many evening meals are eaten on the run. Try to pick at least
one night a week that is family night. Let the younger kids do
things
like wash and tear lettuce for salads. Let older kids be in charge
of picking and making main dishes. Make this dinnertime special
by setting the table, turning off the TV, and spending time catching
up with each other.
Get the whole family moving
Everyone in the family needs regular exercise! Present exercise
as fun family outings rather than as a chore. Take family walks,
bike rides, or join a swimming pool together. Exercising together
provides a great time for talking with kids too. Also encourage
daily activities such as walking the dog, taking the stairs,
or vacuuming a room. Set limits on TV and computer time.
Here’s
what some kids
have said about My Choice: |
“You learn a lot about
how to eat healthy and getting good exercise and have fun at
the same time.”
“I learned that it doesn’t matter what size you are, you’re
special. And about the food pyramid and how to order a healthy good meal at a
restaurant and how to make really GOOD foods.” |
Here’s what
some parents
have
said about My Choice: |
“I learned how to make
healthy choices when cooking for my family. Reading labels
is very important.
It was very beneficial to our whole family.”
“Parents learned as much as the children. We, as parents, supported and
shared with each other our concerns for our children. My child really loved the
class because he always was hurrying me to get to class.” |
Katie Calkin, MPH, CHES, is a Health Educator at Athens Regional
Medical Center
|