Healthy Eating Habits Start In Infancy
Breast-feeding is ideal nutrition and sufficient to support optimal growth and development for about the first 4 to 6 months
• Try to maintain breast-feeding for 12 months.
• A transition to other nutrient sources should begin at about 4 to 6 months of age ”to ensure sufficient micronutrients in the diet.”
Delay offering juice until at least 6 months of age.
• Limit the amount to 4 to 6 oz of juice daily.
• Always give kids juice in a cup. (Drinking juice from a bottle or using a straw candamage teeth.)
• You may want to dilute pure juice with water.
• Offer only 100% juice; avoid juice drinks and beverages that have added sugars (orhigh fructose corn syrup).
Don't overfeed infants and young children.
• Children shouldn't be forced to finish meals if they aren't hungry; it’s normal that caloric intake will vary from meal to meal.
• Estimated calories needed for a one year old is about 900.
• Estimated calories needed for teens: 1,800 for a 14 to 18-year-old girl; 2,200 for a 14 to18-year-old boy.
Introduce healthy foods and keep offering them if they're initially refused.
• Don't introduce foods with no overall nutritional value simply to provide calories.
Yes, You Need More Bananas
Most kids need about 2 to 4 cups fruits and vegetables every day. The older they are, the more they need! Here are some suggestions for
increasing the fruit and vegetable intake at your house.
• Go by the colors. Pick a color or colors of the day and see how many fruits and veggies you can find for meals that day. You can also
help
younger children learn their colors as they try new foods.
• Add veggies and fruits to favorite foods. Peas, beans or carrots can top mac’n’cheese, veggies on pizza, and sliced apples, peaches
or
berries on breakfast cereals or low-fat ice-cream.
• Make smoothies with frozen fruit (berries, peaches) or bananas, some low-fat or fat-free milk or yogurt and 100% fruit juice. Blend the
concoction until smooth.
• Mix chopped veggies into pasta sauces, lasagna, casseroles, soup, chili, and omelets. Stir fresh or frozen berries into the batter for
pancakes, waffles or muffins.
• Put 100% fruit juice in an ice tray and freeze overnight to make fruit cubes. Frozen seedless grapes can be a great summer treat.
• Chop raw vegetables into bite-sized pieces for dipping. Try bell peppers, carrots, cucumber (peel and cut into strips), broccoli,
cauliflower
and celery. Dip the veggies into low-fat dressings for a healthy meal on warm summer nights.
• Roast vegetables like cauliflower, broccoli, brussel sprouts, onions, carrots, tomatoes, or eggplant to enhance their natural sweetness
and
reduce bitterness.
And finally, involve your kids in the fruit and vegetable shopping decisions at the supermarket; let them help you select recipes and prepare
dinner, according to their age and ability. They will be more eager to try and serve foods they have helped choose and make.
Sources: American Heart Association Dietary Recommendations for Healthy Children and Alliance Healthcare Initiative tips for boosting fruit and vegetable consumption.
The WELLBEING™ is published monthly by HRMS. Information in The WELLBEING™ is intended as general health information and should not replace medical advice or professional care. Please direct questions or comments to The WELLBEING™, 1847 West Jefferson Avenue, Naperville, Illinois 60540.
