Ask a Dietitian

As seen on BCTV Noon News

Helping children eat well and be active where they live learn and play

An online survey posted on the Dietitians of Canada website found that at home the biggest challenge to eating healthy foods is a lack of time on the part of the parents. Other challenges included being unsure about the best food choices for healthy eating and having high calorie/low nutrient snacks at home. At school the biggest challenge respondents said was the availability of higher fat and sugary treats (chips, chocolate bars, pop, fires, candies). Another related challenge was having limited access to nutritious foods because they were not available at school or not brought from home. The survey participants said that the solutions are to enhance nutrition education within schools and support families in making healthy eating a day-to-day reality at home.

At Home:

Be a role model – Teach children to eat well by example. Focus on serving sensible portions, choose a variety of foods from all the food groups, and limit the other foods.

Involve the kids – Get your children involved in menu planning, grocery shopping, cooking and cleaning up. By including children in food planning and preparation they are more inclined to eat the food and enjoy it.

Plan in Advance – Get ready for breakfast the night before. Set out the cereal, cup up some fruit and set the table.

Make Lunch – Make lunches the night before. Encourage kids to make their own lunches selecting from a variety of choices you have set out. Instruct them to choose a food from each food group.

Eat Together – Having family meal time encourages healthy eating patterns. Maybe some nights you end up eating earlier or later than usual so you can all eat together. Make meal time an enjoyable, social time to connect with your kids, discuss your day and plan for tomorrow.

Try Something New – Find new recipes to try. Use the Let’s Make a Meal! on-line menu planner at www.dietitians.ca

Save Time – Cook in bulk and freeze extras for a later date.

Mix and Match – Use convenience foods such as bagged salads and cooked chickens and combine them with home-prepared foods such as stir-fry vegetables.

At School:

Portable Snacks – Children often only have 15 minutes to eat their lunches so send along some portable foods such as apples, dried fruit, trail mix in a bag or cereal bar to eat in the playground.

Lots of Fluids – Send milk, pure fruit juice and a water bottle daily. Encourage teachers to allow water bottles in the classroom.

Variety – There is nothing worse than getting the same thing in your lunch every day. Try something new. A sandwich in a pita or a wrap. Chocolate milk instead of plain milk, cold pizza or pasta from dinner or a muffin and yogurt. Visit www.dietitians.ca for more tips and food ideas or to order a copy of the cookbook Cook Great Food.

Mission Nutrition – Tell educators about www.missionnutrition.ca . A space themed website developed by teachers and dietitians to help teach children about healthy eating, physical activity and positive self-esteem. Missions Nutrition is a joint effort by Dietitians of Canada and Kellogg Canada Inc.