Picky Eaters Tips

Patience and persistence are the tools for parents of a picky eater. Your tenacity to
make nutrition a priority will pay off in the long run as your child grows and
begins to form food associations, preferences and priorities. Your guidance
and role modeling will be a positive and formidable influence. (but you can’t see it rightnow, so hang in there and don’t give up.)

* Don’t despair. That leads to frustration and stress at meal times. That doesn’t help you or the child. Be patient there is no magic solutions because kids, like us adults, have different personalities, tolerance levels, patience, moods etc. So in other words, what works for one child may not work for another.

*Introduce one new food at a time. Introduce it with another food they enjoy.
* Don’t make your child clean their plate. Forget that old fashioned way of thinking. We now
know that kids, especially under five, have a good sense of their hunger. They will stop eating when they are full. The portion size they were given may be too much for them.

* Avoid bribing please! ie “If you eat your vegetables, you can have dessert later.” Think about the message that will send to your child. Dessert- reward, fun, happy, success.
Vegetables, not fun, requires a condition in order to eat them, Multiple studies have shown that bribing kids doesn’t promote good healthy food preferences in the long run.

* Just try to offer them one bite of the healthy food they don’t want to eat. If your child refuses, don’t give up or get mad. It just means they won’t try it today but that does not mean
forever. Keep bringing that vegetable back to mealtime every several days or so.

* Take advantage of other activities to expose your child to healthy foods outside of mealtime. Have them help you pick out the vegetables and fruits at the grocery store, or better yet, at the farmers market, Maybe the farmer will tell your child how they grew it. Let them help prepare the foods. I know I have said this before, but it can take kids 15 exposures before their
curiosity is piqued enough to try a new food.

* Be a fun healthy eating role model. The kids are watching you and paying attention. Pile on those veggies on your plate
and let them know how delicious it is. A little extra acting is
okay. You have an audience! It’s okay for kids to have a dessert or high sugar, high fat food once in awhile. Avoid completely eliminating a food they enjoy. It will only make them want it more. Instead, teach your child how these foods are good to have once in a while. Help them learn to eat small portions of these kinds of foods. We have to be realistic. Being healthy is about moderation, balance and portion sizes. There is room in a child’s diet for all kinds of foods. Some every
day and other once in while. When there are independent tweens/teens they will be making their own food choices. Home is a chance to teach children good eating habits and that includes teaching them about these high sugar foods and high fat foods.

* Avoid letting your child snack all day long. If they aren’t very hungry at mealtime they are
less likely to try new foods.
* Make the foods interesting. Jazz up those vegetables and fruits. Kids love dipping foods, so how about adding a low fat dip for their vegetables or fruits. Serve them their vegetable with a vegetable made of into a picture or funny face. Just image theirfaces when they sit down and see a happy smile made of celery, carrots and cucumbers. Make fruits and vegetables a fun event for kids. Have them color their plate with the food item. See if they can name the different colors. You can come up with different games using fruits and vegetables that can peak their interest about the food.
* If you find a couple of vegetables that they do like, well, it is okay to repeatedly serve
them. Just continue to introduce one new food at a time.
* To add more nutrition for that stubborn picky eater who absolutely refuses to eat vegetables or fruits, be creative. You can add vegetables into some of their favorite meals. Dice them finely and add these
healthy foods to their favorite meatloaf, stew, soup, casserole dish or
pasta.

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Health Tips for Kids

Parents today, need to think about keeping their kids healthy the natural way to combat various health problems. Here are some health tips for kids, which parents need to use to keep the child in good health.

Healthy habits are always instilled in a child during the childhood days. Teaching children the importance of a healthy diet is one of the first things parents always strive to explain to their children. A healthy habit when infused in a child from the early years, only helps in the overall child development and turns him/her into a responsible individual. Children need to be taught about the importance of healthy habits in a gentle manner. With time and care from your side, children are bound to understand the importance of healthy habits. Here is a basic compilation of tips related to kids' health. With these health tips, kids can learn to look after themselves during their growing years.

Health tips for kids

Teach your child the importance of a healthy routine. The day should always begin with a healthy breakfast. Help the child to understand why breakfast times are important for the day. You can make a chart of different recipes for breakfast and tell him/her gently about the importance of many vital ingredients for one’s body.

Fruits and green vegetables are so important for a healthy diet. Your child should know why fruits score over packaged foods. You need to include fresh fruits during breakfast times or slip one in the lunchbox. Make it interesting by having fresh fruit juices or even fruit salads to break the monotony.

Children are not aware about many things that are very important for their growth. As parents, you must ensure your child has plenty of water and fluids during the day. Fluids should include fresh juices. Make sure your child carries a bottle of fresh juices to school.

Kids should know the importance of exercise at an early age itself. Teach kids few basic exercises that can be done at home. An exercise routine that incorporates walking or swimming can help children to manage these activities on a daily basis. As they grow up, these routines will naturally form a part of their life.

Kids should also be aware of hygiene-related issues. Youngsters should learn things such as the need to wash hands before and after meals. For young kids, you can simply use a singsong routine to get them into the process. Children will then surely make this a part of their routine once they understand the importance of personal hygiene.

Dental care should begin at an early age. Brushing teeth twice daily is needed to keep teeth looking healthy and clean. You can promise to read a bedtime story for a kid that does not really enjoy a brushing routine. Make it seem enjoyable rather than making the child feel punished.

As your child grows older, you can help your kid maintain a chart on foods to be avoided on a regular basis. It’s important the child knows that indulgence in foods high in sugar is fine once in a while. It should not be done on an everyday basis. Avoid being too stern if your kid wants to enjoy foods such as French fries and ice cream. Simply teach your child how to be smart and consume such foods only occasionally.

Your child may require a daily dose of vitamins if the diet does not include the required amount. Make sure you check with your doctor about the vitamin intake to give the right amount of doses. There are many vitamin tablets packed in attractive containers. Generally, kids believe they eat candy instead of medicines due to the innovatively packed products that are available these days. There can also be alternative ways to include food items in the diet, which are a rich source of vitamins. Your doctor would be the best judge to decide upon the diet plan.

Parents also need to make sure their children get the appropriate amount of sleep. The child needs a healthy balance of activities and play. Sometimes, children take a long time to fall asleep. You can read a bedtime story or simply speak to the child softly. This will help the child to fall asleep naturally. This health tip will help children to stay in good health and remain active during the day.

Children need plenty of love and care right from their early years. Along with loads of love, these health tips will help to keep your kid fit and smiling throughout the day!

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Health Tips for Kids 9 to 15 Years Old

Start your day with breakfast.
Breakfast fills your "empty tank" to get you going after a long night without food. And it can help you do better in school. Easy to prepare breakfasts include cold cereal with fruit and low-fat milk, whole-wheat toast with peanut butter, yogurt with fruit, whole-grain waffles or even last night's pizza! See also: Breakfast on the Fly

Get Moving!
It's easy to fit physical activities into your daily routine. Walk, bike or jog to see friends. Take a 10-minute activity break every hour while you read, do homework or watch TV. Climb stairs instead of taking an escalator or elevator. Try to do these things for a total of 30 minutes every day.

Snack Smart
Snacks are a great way to refuel. Choose snacks from different food groups -- a glass of low-fat milk and a few graham crackers, an apple or celery sticks with peanut butter and raisins, or some dry cereal. If you eat smart at other meals, cookies, chips and candy are okay for occasional snacking.

Work up a Sweat
Vigorous work-outs -- when you're breathing hard and sweating -- help your heart pump better, give you more energy and help you look and feel your best. Start with a warm-up that stretches your muscles. Include 20 minutes of aerobic activity, such as running, jogging or dancing. Follow-up with activities that help make you stronger such as push-ups or lifting weights. Then cool-down with more stretching and deep breathing.


Don't Eat Too Much of One Thing
You don't have to give up foods like hamburgers, french fries and ice cream to eat healthfully. You just have to be smart about how often and how much of them you eat. Your body needs nutrients like protein, carbohydrates, fat and many different vitamins and minerals such as vitamins C and A, iron and calcium from a variety of foods. Balancing food choices from the Food Guide Pyramid and checking out the Nutrition Facts Panel on food labels will help you to get all these nutrients.

Get Fit With Friends and Family
Being active is much more fun with friends or family. Encourage others to join you and plan one special physical activity event, like a bike ride or hiking, with a group each week.

Eat more grains, fruits and vegetables.
These foods give you carbohydrates for energy, plus vitamins, minerals and fiber. Besides, they taste good! Try breads such as whole-wheat, bagels and pita. Spaghetti and oatmeal are also in the grain group.

Bananas, strawberries and melons are some great tasting fruits. (See: Easy Ways to Eat More Fruit). Try vegetables raw, on a sandwich or in a salad.

Join in physical activities at school.
Whether you take a physical education class or do other physical activities at school, such as intramural sports, structured activities are a sure way to feel good, look good and stay physically fit.

Foods aren't good or bad.
A healthy eating style is like a puzzle with many parts. Each part -- or food -- is different. Some foods may have more fat, sugar or salt while others may have more vitamins or fiber. There is a place for all these foods. What makes a diet good or bad is how foods fit together. Balancing your choices is important. Fit in a higher-fat food, like pepperoni pizza, at dinner by choosing lower-fat foods at other meals. And don't forget about moderation. If two pieces of pizza fill you up, don't eat a third.

Make Healthy Eating and Physical Activities Fun!
Take advantage of physical activities you and your friends enjoy doing together and eat the foods you like. Be adventurous -- try new sports, games and other activities as well as new foods. You'll grow stronger, play longer, and look and feel better! Set realistic goals -- don't try changing too much at once.

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