Fat of the Land: How to Promote a Healthy Diet for Children

More and more youngsters are battling extra weight these days.  According to the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, childhood obesity has more than tripled in the last 30 years.  What can we do as parents to help our kids maintain their ideal weight while stimulating a healthy relationship with food? 

Quit the Clean Plate Club.   A recent study from Cornell University researchers showed that when children were forced to clean their plates at home they ate greater quantities outside the home when able to make their own choices.  Requiring kids to eat everything on their plates discourages them from listening to their own bodies about when they've had enough. 

Bribe and Punishment.  Promoting a healthy attitude toward food means teaching kids from a young age that food is fuel for their bodies.  Sure, food is meant to be enjoyed, but using it as a punishment or a reward generally sends the wrong message.  This means never denying a child a meal for misbehaving as well as not promising chocolate to end a tantrum.  Even negotiating with food at the dinner table can be a slippery slope.  Dangling dessert in front of a child in an attempt to get him to eat his broccoli inevitably makes broccoli the bad guy and cake the hero. 

Flavor.  Your child will maintain his ideal weight with less struggle if homemade meals are flavorful and satisfying.  A spread that hits the spot will curb the desire to nibble between meals.  Just because a dish is wholesome doesn't mean it has to be bland.  Celebrity chef and television personality Rachael Ray once expressed that growing up, the children in her family had healthy eating habits because the adults in her family lovingly worked to make everything taste good.  The children happily ate what was served, she said, because it always looked and smelled delicious. 

Presentation and Portions.  A perfect time to be creative in the kitchen is when plating and serving your family's meals.  There are many ways to make food look appetizing, from replicating photos of haute cuisine to creating shapes or smiley faces.  Color is key and also adds nutritional value.  An advantage to serving plates restaurant style as opposed to laying out meals family or buffet style is portion control.  Meals are balanced, beautiful and complete with less temptation for seconds or thirds. 

Culinary Clockwork.  Keeping a regular and predictable meal schedule helps cut down on anxiety and over-eating.  Knowing what to expect can also help teach the emotionally valuable art of delaying gratification. 

Water.  Help make water the beverage of choice for your kids by giving it to them very early on.  There's no nutritional reason to start kids out filling their bottles and sippy cups with fruit juices.  Take advantage of the years you have when all they know about food and drink is what you give them.  They'll develop an appreciation for pure, clean water with less craving for the sugary taste of juice and soda when they become old enough to choose. 

Move.  Exercise is tied to almost every single aspect of well-being.  Regular exercise promotes weight control, deep sleep, and mood regulation.  A recent study at the University of Illinois suggests that exercise can even make kids smarter. 

Model Moderation.  Demonstrate having treats in small doses. When your child begs for that second or third cookie, explain that too much of anything  is not healthy for our bodies, and that the healthier we are, the better we feel.