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2012年9月22日 星期六

Back-To-School Nutrition Tips for a Healthy Breakfast


The thought of providing a variety of health-promoting, kid-approved foods throughout the school year can certainly feel overwhelming!

There's breakfast to consider, then snacks, lunch, more snacks, dinner, maybe another snack. Those kids can seem like bottomless pits at times!!

I'd like to chunk this subject of kids' school days nutrition down into simple tips and strategies so we can feel less overwhelmed.

Let's consider breakfast.

The average North American breakfast typically revolves around some type of refined, processed grain - like cereal, toast or bread, bagels, quick-cooked oatmeal, and a variety of pastries.

If we were to discuss the negative consequences of this single food choice alone, this would be a very lengthy article! Suffice it to say, there is an ever-increasing number of health professionals who agree that grains are not a requirement for optimal function.

That's right. According to experts who study our healthier ancestors and our genetic connections, we do not 'need' grains. Especially cereal-type grains. Amongst other physiological ramifications of consuming grains, inflammation is one of the biggest problems that results. The more refined, the worse it is. It's a horrible way to start the day!

So, what's a parent to do? Certainly 'whole' grains are an improvement over toxic refined grains. Better yet, choose more ancient grains, sprouted, soaked or fermented grains.

So far, I'm not really making your life any easier, am I?

Sorry about that - just wanted to make sure you're aware of the consequences of grain-centered meals. You certainly don't get this message if you depend upon sources like the food pyramid, do you? Money apparently speaks louder than health.

Let's get back to breakfast.

Here's a hierarchy of improvements to consider making:

1) If you can eliminate refined grains, that would be the ideal option.

2) If elimination isn't a realistic option right now, at least reduce the consumption of refined, processed grains.

3) Upgrade your choices of grains when possible - at the very least, start with whole grains, and make sure there's no high fructose corn syrup. Look for high fiber content and low sugar. No artificial sweeteners, colors or flavors. Whenever possible, upgrade even further by choosing the sprouted, fermented or soaked traditional grains.

But, THE most important thing to focus on with breakfast is to create a BALANCED meal.

In order to provide the raw materials for optimal brain function, balanced emotions and mood regulation, and maximized physical performance, we need some healthy protein, natural fats, fresh fiber from vegetables and fruit, and some pure water as the drink of choice.

I discuss these and the 5 basic food groups that our kids require for optimal health & performance in many of my articles, books and menus. I place these foods in something I call the Circle of Health. It's simple and clear enough that kids, too, can learn how to make healthy choices and structure health-promoting meals and snacks. I think it's important that they understand the importance of the choices they're making. It's a mom thing!

Speaking of being a mom, I understand the temptation of serving cereal for breakfast. Kids love it. It's cheap (or can be). It's quick, easy and convenient. What's not to love?

I also understand that it might not be realistic for you to completely eliminate these types of foods from your kitchen. That's OK - there are still ways we can add better health to this meal.

If you're serving grains for breakfast, you can dramatically improve the overall health value of that meal by ADDING some fresh fruit, and a REAL food source of protein (that often comes with its own natural source of fat).

Need an example?

Let's say your kids are still having cereal for breakfast. Without even getting into the quality of the cereal or the quality and source of the milk, an immediate and simple improvement to that meal would be to start them off with fresh fruit first.

Then, give them something with protein and natural fats, like a whole egg or a handful of raw nuts. If you can swing it, there are some excellent clean breakfast meats that lack the toxic chemicals and nitrites/nitrates... or you can just serve a bit of protein left over from last night's dinner.

I like to think of it as "diluting" the negative effects of the grains!

You know what you'll notice as you add protein, natural fats and fresh fiber (fruit & veggies)? Your kids will have more (balanced) energy, better focus, more balanced moods, greater performance... and a number of other overall health improvements, just by ADDING some things.

Just imagine what you'd see if you started to reduce some of the toxic things from their diets!

That's a topic for another discussion! Baby steps!




Dr. Colleen Trombley-VanHoogstraat ("Dr Mom Online") is a leading expert in Natural Health & Wellness. Her unique perspective and scientific understanding of Wellness, as well as her popular and engaging approach, provides simple solutions and transformational results for families seeking better overall health. To discover her popular strategy for teaching, and living, the fundamentals of better nutrition, go to
better nutrition and healthy food





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2012年9月15日 星期六

Nutrition Education is Failing Our Kids - It's Time to Get Our Hands Dirty Instead


Tell me and I will forget.

Show me and I may remember.

Involve me and I will understand.

~Chinese proverb

The latest research shows that nutrition education is not working! It is ineffective in creating behavior change in getting our kids to eat more veggies. So much time, money and energy has been spent in our schools to teach kids nutrition and we've gotten nowhere.

The pyramid is part of the problem. Why are we wasting time teaching our kids a government sanctioned official word on nutrition that just doesn't stick?

Besides being uninspiring, the USDA food pyramid is full of conflicts of interest with the food industry, meat and dairy lobbies. If we want our kids to really learn something beyond being able to regurgitate facts and figures for a test, we need them involved on a deeper level.

Much of what we've been told about nutrition has been misleading and has done more harm than good. This has led well meaning nutrition committees to focus on the details rather than looking at the big picture.


Counting calories results in many people obsessing over calories, some to the extreme of eating disorders and yo-yo dieting. This faulty over-emphasis on energy balance has led the food industry to create "100 calorie" products. After all, 100 calories of junk is still junk! It reminds me of the "light" cigarettes my mom smoked in the early 70's instead of quitting tobacco altogether. Focusing on calories takes us away from quality, all calories are not equal.
Believing that fat makes you fat has spurned many low-fat food products that are higher in sugar and chemicals. Good quality fat is essential for brain and nervous system development. Many foods need fat present for optimal nutrient absorption. That's why salad dressing needs to have fat in it. Once again, we must consider what good quality fat and oils are and work to stay away from poor quality fats.
A misguided emphasis on nutrients has resulted in useless products like granola bars and hyped up cereals which are nothing but refined grains sprayed down with synthetic vitamins.
Loading up our school cafeterias with 100 calorie packs, baked chips, granola bars, baked chicken fingers and oven roasted tater tots which many consider to be "healthier" fare does not create a higher Food IQ for our kids nor does it make them healthier.

"The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results"~ Albert Einstein

Clearly when it comes to nutrition education and to our children's health, we need a new approach. I suggest that we shift the emphasis away from nutrition and instead towards the four letter word that begins with F: Food! To build our Food IQ the right way, we must get our hands dirty and experience all that food has to offer.

We need to plant gardens everywhere: in schools, in childcare centers, summer camps, senior centers and in our communities. I'm thrilled that many grass roots school advocates have followed First Lady Obama's lead in planting gardens in schools. Gardens involve and teach us about food and the world on many levels.


When kids grow food, kids eat food! Gardens are a great solution to the epidemic of picky eating behaviors. Research shows that children who have been involved with growing food eat more veggies than young children who attend other schools and child care centers without garden programs.
You can't grow junk food! There are no artificial ingredients or significant allergens (gluten, dairy, soy) in a garden. You simply cannot become ill or obese from eating what grows in a garden.
Growing food cultivates an environmental awareness helping our children to become stewards of the land. As concerns about climate change and peak oil continues grow, we may all need to become more involved with growing food.
Gardens are the cure for nature deficit disorder. Keeping our kids away from screens and high tech for a while is useful. The garden helps us slow down; you can't force a green bean to grow fast, you have to wait! This is an important antidote to our fast paced lives.
With gas prices soaring and food costs following skyward, growing food makes more sense than ever for our wallets as well as our waistlines.
I am now hopeful that gardens will be the start of a positive shift in a school district's food culture. By cultivating garden projects which build Food IQ and ecoliteracy, perhaps cafeterias will shift further towards health supportive food that is better for our kids and for the environment. For instance, once everyone understands the environmental impact of New York school students eating apples coming all the way from Washington state( or further) vs. apples coming from farms in upstate NY, perhaps students will demand local sourcing of food. This roundabout way of impacting the cafeteria will help create a demand for fresh, local, real food, instead of low calorie fat free questionable food products.

It's going to be great to get our hands dirty and get growing. Mother Earth will be thankful as well.




Susan Rubin is a holistic nutritionist, eco-gastronomist, co-leader of Slow Food Westchester, blogger, teacher and mom who writes about food, health and environmental issues. Learn more about her work by visiting http://www.DrSusanRubin.com.





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2012年9月13日 星期四

Nutrition Tips for Preschoolers


Any pediatrician will tell you that good nutrition and proper eating habits are best taught when a child is still very young. In doing so, your child will be observing these healthy habits well until they reach adulthood.

Preschoolers especially need the essential nutrients for their growth and development, energy for all of their activities, as well as for the regulation of the vital processes in their bodies. It is for this reason why it is vital to impress upon children the importance of good nutrition and healthy eating habits at a very early age.

Here are some nutrition tips to get your preschooler on the right path to healthy eating...

Observe Model Eating Habits

When it comes to nutrition and eating habits, it is very important that you set a good example for your kids. If you don't eat healthy foods and have poor eating habits, your child is likely to follow your example and eat less nutritious foods. Impress upon your child the importance of a healthy balanced diet by consuming nutritious meals.

Encourage Kids to Take an Active Role In Nutrition

There is nothing that a preschooler loves more than to help their moms and dads. Take this opportunity to bring them along to the grocery to buy food. Have them reach for food items on the shelves and let them push the shopping cart. At home, get their opinions on the family menu and their assistance on meal preparation. Let them peel bananas and other fruits and wash vegetables. You can also have them pour ingredients in the dishes that you are cooking (just make sure that they are wearing aprons and/or using pot holders to prevent accidents). In doing so, your child will learn to appreciate healthy foods.

Have Nutritious Snacks Available

Preschoolers tend to get hungry between meals and will most likely reach for tastier but less nutritious junk foods. To prevent this from happening, stock up on nutritious snacks like fresh fruit slices and veggie sticks. Not only will your child get the essential nutrients, he or she will gradually develop a craving for more nutritious snacks.

Follow the Food Pyramid for Children by the USDA

The USDA Food Pyramid for Children shows which foods are appropriate for children between the ages of 2 and 6. These healthy foods include the following...

• Carbohydrates in the form of breads, cereal, rice and pasta (6 servings)

• Vegetables (3 servings)

• Fruits (2 servings)

• Dairy products such as milk, cheese and yogurt (2 servings)

• Proteins in the form of meat, poultry, fish, dry beans and eggs (2 servings)

• Fats, oils and sweets (Use sparingly)

Reduce Trips to Fast Food Joints

While fast food restaurants make it convenient for parents to get meals, they are not ideal for preschoolers because of their high fat content and very low or zero nutritional value. Minimize trips to fast food joints and, instead, cook delicious meals at home.

By following all these tips, you will teach your child how to make healthy food choices as well as help them to develop good eating habits.




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2012年8月30日 星期四

The Many Advantages Of Online Nutrition Games For Kids


Many children do not eat properly these days. In fact, this may be one of the major reasons for the epidemic of obesity problems that many younger people face. It might not be easy to teach children about the value and importance of proper eating. This is why online nutrition games for kids can be very important. Here is a look at some good reasons to introduce your children to these websites.

Negative Associations with Learning

Most children enjoy having fun and playing. However, they may not associate that with learning. Instead they may associate learning with negative things. For example, a child may not like getting up in the morning and getting ready for school. He or she may wish to simply stay home and play.

Another reason that children may have negative associations with learning is the fact that they "have to" attend school. It can sometimes seem like they are being forced to do something. Children want to play and have fun, and anything that is forced upon them, they may resent.

Any time a child has a negative experience at school, they can see it as a reason not to like learning. If a child is experiencing problems with classmates, this can cause a great deal of emotional pain. Some children might not wish to attend school at all, if they are being bullied. If parents can find a way to make learning interesting and fun, they may enjoy a great deal of success as parents.

The Value of Play

There are many websites that offer interesting things for children to do. Many children do not have a great deal of interest in a food pyramid, for example. However, if the pyramid is part of a game, it may capture their interest. At the same time, they can learn about the value of the different food groups.

If you go to any good search engine and search the terms "nutrition games for kids", you will find a variety of websites that are geared for young minds. Many of the activities are interactive, and teach kids about proper eating habits.

Many young people are suffering from poor eating habits, these days. It is important for them to learn which foods are good for them, and why. Nutrition games for kids can teach young minds about the value of proper eating. At the same time, they can have fun and play. This combines the best of both worlds, and parents and children both benefit.




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2012年8月25日 星期六

Nutrition Education For Kids Gets a Failing Grade!


Nutrition class isn't working; this is no surprise to me. There have been many stories on the AP newswires focusing on the billions of dollars that have been spent on nutrition education that have produced zero results. There seems to be no dent in the growing epidemic of obesity. Kids continue to get sicker and fatter, because they are not changing the way they eat.

The piece mentions the federal pilot program that provides free fruits and veggies to kids saying kids won't eat these foods. They point to the fast food and coffee drinks available just across the street and even go so far as blaming moms (many who can't afford to buy better foods) as part of the problem.

Here are some suggestions to fix this predicament. First and foremost, let's drop the word "nutrition" from our vocabulary. We shouldn't need to be nutritionists or biochemists to know how to eat. Change the "N" word to the "F" word, FOOD! Food has many more possibilities.

Second, let's get nutrition out of health class! Most states have standards for health curriculum that put sex and drugs at the top of the list. Nutrition comes in third place behind these two more appealing subjects. If you change nutrition to food, it becomes an interesting topic to integrate into science, math, social studies and English curricula.

Educators know that experiential learning is the most effective way to get a point across. Why not take kids outdoors and let them get their hands dirty? Studies who that kids who are involved with growing food are more likely to eat fruits and veggies that were previously unfamiliar. Growing food not only integrates science ( botany and ecology) but fosters a connection with the earth. These kids will be the stewards of our planet in a few short years. We need to get them out from behind screens and out doors. Leave no child inside!

Another experiential component of learning involves cooking. Kids really do like to cook! It doesn't have to be cookies! Teach them to slice an onion ( take a peek at the onion cells under a microscope!). Bake a traditional dish from another country ( social studies, history). Teaching kids to cook gives them life skills that they will need to know. It may even inspire them to go into the culinary arts.

We must change the school food environment to support food based learning. More fresh fruits and veggies in our schools are essential. But not just as a handout in the cafeteria. Each day, each week, feature a veggie. Integrate it into the curriculum in the classroom.

Make lunch count!

Einstein once said a problem cannot be solved with the consciousness that created it.

Our packaged processed food industry and our food pyramid will not solve our current crisis in declining children's health. We need to think out of the pyramid to find innovative food based solutions.




Dr. Susan Rubin is a dentist turned food activist. She is the founder of Better School Food and is featured in the documentary film on school food, Two Angry Moms. As a holistic health counselor, she uses food and lifestyle changes to create better health for her clients. Learn more about her work by visiting http://www.DrSusanRubin.com and http://www.BetterSchoolFood.org and http://www.angrymoms.org





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2012年8月24日 星期五

Teaching Kids About Nutrition? Add Patience to the Food Pyramid


With the onset of a new school year, it was time to start thinking about establishing healthy school-time routines especially in the area of nutrition. After dining on cold cereal and pop corn all summer, it was time to reacquaint my kids with foods that don't come with toys or have cartoon characters on the back of the box-or for that matter, foods that don't even come in a box.

Upon preparing to enter the seventh grade, my daughter announced that she wanted to pack a lunch to school. After toting a lunchbox all through grade school, I thought she would be ready for school lunch. Then she told me what she wanted to have in her lunch. Together, the items she requested for her lunchtime menu had all the nutritional value of a screwdriver.

Encouraging my kids to consume a healthy diet has been particularly challenging to me because I can't exactly lead by example. The "do as I say not as I do" command lost its effectiveness long before I had the opportunity to use it. I try to maintain a healthy lifestyle. My kids are aware that I regularly go running or cycling because they insist that I hose myself down and pass through a decontamination chamber before entering the house after a workout. While my diet is pretty nutritious, my mouth doesn't exactly water at the prospect of a veggie burger with a side of tofu. And I do my best not to get within 10 miles of steamed broccoli.

Over the course of six years, I've gone the rounds with my oldest daughter about eating at least some of the lunch I packed. I tried threats, bribes, and episodes of getting on my knees and begging. Each day her lunch was either completely untouched or looked like she used her lunch box as a footstool with its initial contents mangled beyond recognition. Nothing worked. She either starved herself during lunch or graciously accepted handouts from her classmates. I was ready to give up. However, in order to prevent myself from being added to the guest list of child protective services for starving my children, I still made sure my daughter had a nutritious sack lunch in her backpack each morning. I even ended all discussion about whether she ate her lunch or not.

Eventually she started to soften. I started seeing partially eaten sandwiches and fewer carrots in her lunch box after school. I wouldn't say that I'm the suspicious type, but my daughter's dentist would because I showed up at his office with a half-eaten sandwich to have him confirm that the bite marks were actually my daughter's. He also thinks I'm a little strange.

Through all the arguing, tantrums, and threatening to hold my breath until I turned blue, it turned out that patience and letting my daughter make her own decisions worked the best. This doesn't mean that following a nutritious diet is no longer an issue, but we have made great progress. I think as long as I silently maintain a healthy lifestyle (and don't get caught snitching the multi-colored cereals), the kids might just catch on and make a healthy choice.




David Jensen is a freelance writer with expertise in article marketing, copy writing, journalism, press releases, and employment. To see more of his credentials and services, visit [http://www.ascensionwriting.com]





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The Food Pyramid - A Useful Tool for Weight Loss and Nutrition


One thing is certain, the Food Pyramid is an idiot proof guide to help with weight loss and nutrition.

It's amazing how the nutritional world has changed. Some weight loss programs, or diets, tell you to eat mostly carbohydrates. Some say eat only protein and no carbohydrates. Then there are others that say, don't eat anything unless it is raw.

There's Atkins Diet, South Beach, The Rice Diet, The Cookie Diet, Cleansing Diets, and the entire list could go on for about ten more pages.

Whatever happened to the trusty old Food Pyramid? I don't understand why that became unpopular in the first place. Even the Food Pyramid that is most recently supported by the Health Department has been slightly modified from its original version.

The Food Pyramid is the easiest, healthy eating plan. It's balanced, tasty, and even visually oriented for those who are more spatial and visually inclined. It covers all of the necessary categories that should be consumed, and how much of each to consume.

There are a lot of great benefits to the Food Pyramid, including its ability to help people reach their nutritional goals, and the availability of the various foods. This is a very easy diet to understand and follow!

For starters, the functional design of it as a pyramid, visually describes how much of each food category to eat. This is helpful not only to people who are more visually inclined, but it also teaches children from every educational level about proper nutrition.

Young kids can easily learn about good nutrition and healthy eating habits, and we all know that those habits are best formed in the younger years. From the very beginning, the Food Pyramid helps people to understand proper nutrition.

Not only is this program easy to understand and useful in learning about proper nutrition, it can also help people accomplish any weight loss goals they might have. The balanced eating that is inherent in its design can easily help someone achieve a good eating plan if appropriately followed.

If weight loss is what you're after, the Food Pyramid can lead you there. Losing weight isn't rocket science; it just requires that you stick to a balanced diet and exercise.

Most people struggle with their weight these days because they don't have the correct information about proper nutrition, or they have a terrible time with controlling their portion sizes.

If your goal is weight loss, or just a guide to good nutrition, the Food Pyramid is the simplest method to get those results. Of course, this program cannot account for special cases, such as high-performance athletes, children under the age of one, or even people with other health concerns, such as diabetes or anemia.

This is where it might be more beneficial and more appropriate to seek out specific eating programs, or the guidance of a doctor, or nutrition professional. But for a basic, universal understanding of proper nutrition and appropriate portion sizes, the Food Pyramid is an excellent foundation from which to develop good eating habits and a healthy lifestyle. It worked before and there's no medical reason why it isn't a safe, easy, and good option now.




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2012年8月23日 星期四

Nutrition Tips For Kids - What Your Kids Should Be Eating


So what should kids be eating?

Sometimes adults are too busy to provide the proper nourishment for kids and themselves for that matter. An easy trip through the drive through lane is all it takes to get "full" again. Upon closer examination, much of the fast foods today are loaded with bad chemicals, cholesterol and saturated fats. Where does this leave kids whose growing bodies depend on a steady stream of nutrients to nurture growth?

Before getting to an answer, it is important to realize that childhood obesity, overweight children and kids living on diets high in cholesterol are all subjects we have heard all too often. The real answer lies in some of these overwhelming statistics to resonate enough with each individual so they can take a conscious step toward reaching for the healthy choices.

Have kids help prepare meals and see what is going in to their own food. Being aware of what makes up good food vs. bad food is part of the equation. Consuming only one food type is not the answer, but rather eating healthy consistently Make sure kids are getting the right balance of vitamins and minerals daily through the consumption of various healthy food sources.

Examples of healthy food include a breakfast high in fiber such as whole grain breads, cereals, fruit, yogurt and fresh fruit. Eggs are a tremendous source of protein and have other healthy benefits. For lunch a whole grain bread sandwich with low-fat cheese or fat-free lunch meats is a good choice on the go. A sandwich is not a sandwich as you can prepare it with highly fatty and processed meats or select leaner meats like turkey or chicken.

A great snack to have on the go can be celery sticks, carrot sticks or fruit snacks. When having a salad, a variety of healthy veggies can be mixed in.

Broccoli is a power food and contains many beneficial nutrients. Other great snacks include:
Strawberries
Blueberries
Raisins
Grapes
Pineapple pieces or chunks
Bananas
Apple Slices
Dried Fruit
Trail Mix (some schools do not allow nuts, or this would not be a good choice if the child has a nut allergy, but nuts carry an important set of nutrients)
Cherry Tomatoes
Cauliflower or Broccoli raw (dip into low-fat dip)
Celery or Carrot Sticks
Cottage Cheese
Yoghurt

Different countries publish different versions of the Food Pyramid. Basically however you divide it, children should be receiving a wide variety of healthy foods that contain a wide variety of nutrients. The categories include Dairy products like milk, eggs and yoghurt as well as grains, meats, fish, fruits and vegetables.

Reading food labels can also help increase awareness of what kids are putting into their bodies. Awareness is half of the battle. By educating kids early, they can help make the right choices as to what healthy foods they can eat for a balanced diet.

Once the food part of the equation is solved, it needs to be balanced out with daily exercise and activity. The combination of eating healthy food and exercising will pay life long dividends. Start with conscious healthy choices, then turn them in to healthy eating habits and see how a child's health begins to improve by paying more attention to what they put in their bodies.

The digestion system of a child is like a furnace burning the fuel that is shovelled in and creating energy which is used to maintain body functions but also used for concentration, physical skills, maintaining regular sleep cycles, muscle growth and the maintaining of a host of health related body functions.

The internet has several great kids websites that provide educational videos and recipe information for kids.

Eat well and live well!




http://www.fitforafeast.com/kids_cooking.htm Kids Cooking recipes, breakfast, lunch and dinner foods, fruits and vegetables, diabetes information, safety and kids cookbooks at Fitforafeast.com





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2012年8月22日 星期三

Daily Nutrition For Kids


As a parent it is important for you to make sure you meet the standards of daily nutrition for kids. Your children need a certain intake of certain types of food. In order to make sure you're raising a healthy and well balanced family, the requirements of daily nutrition for kids must be met!

If your child is very young, feed them fruit and vegetables so that they are used to these foods. You can go with starchy vegetables like potatoes and squash to provide some carbohydrates through this food group. While whole grains are good and recommended, very young children can become very full when eating whole grains and they may not want to eat anything else. This means they will be missing out on protein and dairy groups. While your child is still very young, you can serve them refined grain products.

Just stick to lean meats. In terms of dairy products, you can keep them on full cream milk till about the age of three then switch them to 2% or skim. This assures you that daily nutrition is being met for your kids. Follow your food pyramid and chart to make sure you're on track.

For older children, start by making sure they get a good amount of fruit and vegetables each day. Since these are the two food groups that children seldom look for, provide it for them. Make fruit a part of their breakfasts, and vegetables as part of a snack or packed lunch. Children naturally go for grains and protein groups, so make up for what they will naturally lack. If your children feel they're too old to be drinking milk, substitute this with yogurt, pudding, cheese, or calcium fortified fruit juice.

When eating proteins, try to serve a lot of fish and beans. The omega 3 in fish is a good fat and good cholesterol. Omega 3 is also very good for your skin, and this can be a perk for teens dealing with acne. Poultry is also a healthier choice than beef and pork. When serving beef and pork, go for the leaner cuts to lessen your children's fat intake.

Parents should trust the food pyramid and see that it provides for good, healthy, well balanced meals and snacks in proper servings. While this is a great guide for daily nutrition for kids, parents also have to keep in mind not to force their children to eat. Try making sure your kids get the right servings of the right food groups, but if they simply are not hungry, don't force the issue, especially if they've been eating nutritious food all day. Children have a natural clock that tells them when they've had too much to eat.

Adults have it too, but often tend to ignore it. Don't force your children to eat when they're not hungry, this could lead to an overeating habit in the future. Also make sure that they chew their food well and eat slowly, this also prevents overeating.

Daily nutrition for kids is something that is easily met if you just pay a little more attention to what you serve. Before you know it, you'll be able to serve good and nutritious food for your kids at all times!




Need help in choosing the right foods for your child? Get all your answers here! Children and Nutrition is a great article that introduces the basics of knowing what your child needs everyday!





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