Ask a Dietitian

As parents it is important to help our children eat well and be regularly physically active. When children eat well they get all the nutrients and energy they need to grow, learn and play. Children grow at different times and will vary the amount they eat accordingly. Help your kids focus on healthy eating and physical activity rather than on body weight. Start by being a good role model and leading by example.

There are 5 steps you can take:

1. Eat meals together as a family.

Children make better food choices; have healthier body weights and a more positive self-esteem when they eat meals with the family.

-Serve foods from at least 3 of the 4 food groups

-Offer vegetables and fruit at every meal

-Serve one orange and one dark green vegetable each day

-Give whole fruit instead of juice and limit juice to ½-1cup/day

-Shop for whole grains. Look for breakfast cereal with 4g fibre/30g serving, compare sugar

-Serve lower fat milk and milk alternatives 2-3 times a day for adequate calcium and vitamin D

-Plan and prepare meals with less fat. Avoid deep fried and breaded items, high fat cuts of meat, sausages and bacon

-Include healthy unsaturated fats such as liquid oils, fish, nuts and avocado

-Offer water when your kids are thirsty

2. Plan ahead to serve healthy meals and snacks

-Serve breakfast daily to help your child perform better in school. Aim for 3 food groups such as cereal, milk and banana or egg, toast and orange.

-Pack a healthy lunch. Get your kids involved and think beyond the sandwich such as leftover pasta, chili or pizza. Limit processed foods such as deli meats, chips and cookies

-Make Snacks count. Include 2 food groups such as fruit and yogurt or crackers and cheese.

3. Trust your Child’s Appetite. It’s your job to offer a variety of healthy foods and regular meal times. It is your child’s responsibility to decide, if, what and how much he/she will eat.

-Let your children serve themselves healthy foods.

-Encourage them to pay attention to their hunger and fullness cues

-Help your child to not fill up on drinks

-Do not pressure or force your children to eat or finish their plate and avoid praising them for doing so.

-Turn off the TV and computer at meals

4. Support Healthy Eating in your Child’s Environment

-Limit school cafeteria meals to once a week and bring food from home for the rest

-Promote healthier foods at school fundraisers and hot lunch programs

-Ensure healthy foods are served at daycare

-Bring healthy foods to sports and school activities

5. Be active every day with fun activities. Preschoolers need 180 minutes daily and children 5-11 need 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous activity daily.

Remember, most kids don’t need supplements if they are eating a variety of healthy foods.

Weight loss is not usually recommended for children because they are actively growing.

For more information visit www.dietitians.ca and www.healthcanada.gc.ca/foodguide