What Should Kids Eat?

Childhood obesity rates are on the rise-nearly every parent knows that. Parents of younger children, from toddler-age on up to school-age, are aware of this fact; however, many do not seem to consider balanced nutrition to be as important during the early years of their children's lives. After all, it can be difficult enough to persuade young kids to eat at all sometimes, right? Well, although no pediatrician or nutritionist would advocate forcing a child to consume a particular food, most would agree that it is well worth the effort to encourage children of all ages to try a wide variety of healthy foods from the Food Guide Pyramid.

How do you know what, exactly, your child should be eating? What are the Food Pyramid guidelines for young children, anyway? Since childhood obesity rates are on the rise, parents are likely to want to be more cautious about what they feed their children, but most probably do not know how many servings of the different food groups their kids should be eating. Most pediatricians simply do not have the time to have in-depth discussions about nutrition with parents, so it is up to the parents themselves to find the information. What follows here is a general guideline for the Food Pyramid for young children (keep in mind that the lesser serving amounts are for younger toddlers, larger serving amounts are for young school-age children):

Food:Bread, Rice, Cereal, and Pasta

Daily Servings: 6 - 9

Serving Sizes: ½ slice or ¼ cup

Food:Fruit

Daily Servings: 3 - 4

Serving Sizes: ¼ cup cooked; ½ cup raw

Food:Vegetables

Daily Servings: 3

Serving Sizes: ¼ cup cooked; ½ cup raw

Food:Milk, Yogurt, and Cheese

Daily Servings: 4 - 5

Serving Sizes: ½ cup; ¾ ounce cheese

Food:Meat, Poultry, Fish, Dry Beans, and Eggs

Daily Servings: 2 - 3

Serving Sizes: 1 tablespoon; 1 egg; ½ cup cooked beans

Remember that these recommended food servings do not all need to be given through meals; snacks are a great way to fit in healthy foods. In fact, many nutrition experts suggest that snacks are important for children because children tend to not eat as much as adults do at meals; therefore, kids need healthy snacks in order to keep hunger at bay. It is actually a good idea to give children snacks about one or two hours prior to a meal. But, if your child claims to be starving very close to mealtime, try offering him some part of the meal, such as biscuits, milk, or some veggies and dip.

Healthy snacks should be a mainstay in your child's diet. Try to avoid prepackaged fruit gummy snacks, chips, and sweet snacks. Instead, serve the same kinds of foods that you would at mealtime. You can even give your child leftovers for a snack. Whenever possible, try to include some protein and whole grains in the snacks that you offer your children because these types of foods help to keep your child full for longer. Here are some great ideas for healthy snacks:

--Fruit salad made with fresh, seasonal fruits

--Fruit parfaits made with sliced fruit and yogurt or pudding

--Whole grain toast topped with melted cheese or peanut butter

--Homemade snack mix made with cereal, raisins, peanuts, dried cranberries, and whatever other mix-ins you have on-hand

--Low-fat dip or salad dressing with veggies to dip

--Whole grain graham crackers and a glass of milk for dunking

--Fruit juice popsicles

--Cheese slices and whole grain crackers

How, though, can a parent try to convince a picky child to try an unfamiliar food? Perhaps the best way is to show your child that you enjoy the food yourself. Don't expect your child to eat, say, beets, if you are turning up your nose at them! Repetition is also essential when presenting a new, healthy food to your child. You may need to offer those beets several times before your child decides that he likes them-don't get discouraged if your child rejects them the first time you present them.

Don't get obsessive about following the guidelines of the Food Pyramid guidelines, especially for young children. Many kids are finicky eaters, and it can be frustrating to try to get children to eat healthy foods a lot of the time-particularly when they see other kids indulging in junk food at school and on television. But as long as you are trying to feed your children a healthy diet, you are doing all that you can...and hopefully your kids will not be counted among those who are struggling with childhood obesity.