Eating well and being physically active are key to your child's well-being. Eating too much and exercising too little can lead to overweight and related health problems that can follow children into their adult years. You can take an active role in helping your child-and your whole family-learn healthy eating and physical activity habits.

How will healthy eating and physical activity help my child?

All children benefit from healthy eating and physical activity. A balanced diet and being physically active help children:

• grow

• learn

• build strong bones and muscles

• have energy

• maintain a healthy weight

• avoid obesity-related diseases like type 2 diabetes

• get plenty of nutrients

• feel good about themselves

How are my child's eating and activity habits formed?

Parents play a big role in shaping children's eating habits. When parents eat a variety of foods that are low in fat and sugar and high in fiber, children learn to like these foods as well. It may take 10 or more tries before a child accepts a new food, so do not give up if your child does not like a new food right away.

Parents have an effect on children's physical activity habits as well. You can set a good example by going for a walk or bike ride after dinner instead of watching TV. Playing ball or jumping rope with your children shows them that being active is fun.

With many parents working outside the home, child care providers also help shape children's eating and activity habits. Make sure your child care provider offers well-balanced meals and snacks, as well as plenty of active play time.

If your child is in school, find out more about the school's breakfast and lunch programs and ask to have input into menu choices, or help your child pack a lunch that includes a variety of foods. Get involved in the parent-teacher association (PTA) to support physical education (PE) and after-school sports.

Your child's friends and the media can also affect his or her eating and activity choices. Children may go to fast food places or play video games with their friends instead of playing tag, basketball, or other active games. TV commercials try to persuade kids to choose high-fat snacks and high-sugar drinks and cereals. When parents help their children be aware of peer and media pressures, youngsters are more likely to make healthy choices outside the home.

What should my child eat?

Just like adults, children need to eat a wide variety of foods for good health. Use the Food Guide Pyramid on page 5 as a starting point for planning family meals and snacks. The Food Guide Pyramid applies to healthy people age 2 years and older. The smaller number of servings in the range is for children age 6 years and under. For 2- to 3-year-old children, the serving size should be smaller, about two-thirds the size of a regular serving (except for milk).

When you help children build healthy eating habits early, they will approach eating with a positive attitude—that food is something to enjoy, help them grow, and give them energy.

Food Guide Pyramid

Children 2 to 6 years old need two servings from the milk group per day; children over 6 need three servings. Do not limit fat for children under 2. For older children, aim for a total fat intake of no more than 30 percent of daily calories.

Source: U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services or USDA and DHHS

One Serving Equals

Bread, Cereal, Rice, and Pasta Group

• 1 slice of bread

• 1 ounce of ready-to-eat cereal

• 1/2 cup of cooked cereal, rice, or pasta

Vegetable Group

• 1 cup of raw or 1/2 cup of frozen (cooked) leafy
  vegetables

• 1/2 cup of other vegetables-cooked or chopped raw

• 3/4 cup of vegetable juice

Fruit Group

• 1 medium apple, banana, or orange

• 1/2 cup of chopped, cooked, or canned fruit

• 3/4 cup of fruit juice

Milk, Yogurt, and Cheese Group

• 1 cup of milk or yogurt

• 1 1/2 ounces of natural cheese

• 2 ounces of processed cheese

Meat, Poultry, Fish, Dry Beans and Nuts Group

• 2-3 ounces of cooked lean meat, poultry, or fish

• 1/2 cup of cooked dry beans or 1 egg counts as 1 ounce of lean meat. Two tablespoons of peanut butter or 1/3 cup of nuts count as 1 ounce of meat.

Sources of Calcium

Calcium helps build strong bones and teeth. Milk and milk products are great sources of calcium. If your child cannot digest milk or if you choose not to serve milk products, there are other ways to make sure he or she gets enough calcium.

• Offer one serving of calcium-fortified fruit juice per day. Fortified juices contain as much calcium per serving as milk.

• Serve calcium-rich vegetables like broccoli, mustard greens, kale, collard greens, and brussels sprouts.

• Include high-calcium beans like great northern beans, black turtle beans, navy beans, and baked beans in casseroles and salads.

• Try calcium-enriched soy- and rice-based drinks. Serve chilled, use in place of cow's milk in your favorite recipes, or add to hot or cold cereals.

• Serve lactose-reduced or lactose-free dairy products like low-fat or fat-free milk, yogurt, and ice cream. (Lactose is the sugar in milk and foods made with milk. People who cannot digest lactose often have stomach pain and bloating when they drink milk.)

• Try low-fat yogurt or cheese in small amounts-they may be easier to digest than milk.

How can I help my child eat better?

• Give your child a snack or two in addition to his or her three daily meals.

• Offer your child a wide variety of foods, such as grains, vegetables and fruits, low-fat dairy products, and lean meat or beans.

• Serve snacks like dried fruit, low-fat yogurt, and air-popped popcorn.

• Let your child decide whether and how much to eat. Keep serving new foods even if your child does not eat them at first.

• Cook with less fat-bake, roast, or poach foods instead of frying.

• Limit the amount of added sugar in your child's diet. Choose cereals with low or no added sugar. Serve water or low-fat milk more often than sugar-sweetened sodas and fruit-flavored drinks.

• Choose and prepare foods with less salt. Keep the salt shaker off the table. Have fruits and vegetables on hand for snacks instead of salty snack foods.

• Involve your child in planning and preparing meals. Children may be more willing to eat the dishes they help fix.

• Have family meals together and serve everyone the same thing.

• Do not be too strict. In small amounts, sweets or food from fast-food restaurants can still have a place in a healthy diet.

• Make sure your child eats breakfast. Breakfast provides children with the energy they need to listen and learn in school

Simple Snack Ideas* 

• Dried fruit and nut mix

• Fresh, frozen, or canned vegetables or fruit served plain or with low-fat yogurt

• Rice cakes, whole grain crackers, or whole grain bread served with low-fat cheese, fruit spread, peanut butter, almond butter, or soy nut butter

• Pretzels or air-popped popcorn sprinkled with salt-free seasoning mix

• Homemade fruit smoothie made with low-fat milk or yogurt and frozen or fresh fruit

• Dry cereals served plain or with low-fat or non-fat milk

*Children of preschool age and younger can easily choke on foods that are hard to chew, small and round, or sticky, such as hard vegetables, whole grapes, hard chunks of cheese, raisins, nuts and seeds, and popcorn. Carefully select snacks for children in this age group.

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Credits: The Weight-control Information Network (WIN)

This article has informational purpose and  isn't a substitute for professional advice.

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