Healthy Kids Make Healthy Adults:
Teaching Children Good Nutrition Provides
Long-Term Benefits
You give them whole-wheat toast and fruit. They’d
rather have a doughnut. You offer grilled chicken and steamed
veggies. They say they want a cheeseburger. With so many unhealthy
options available to our children today, is it any wonder that
childhood obesity is quickly becoming a nationwide epidemic?
According to the American Heart Association,
more than 10 percent of U.S. toddlers and preschoolers between
the ages of 2 and 5 are overweight, and nearly 4 million children
ages 6 to 11 are overweight or obese.
 The good news, however,
is that by teaching your kids early about the importance of healthy
dietary and lifestyle habits, you can provide the essential principles
that will enable them to grow into strong, healthy adults.
Don’t Forget the Fiber
Clinical studies have proven that a diet high in fiber provides
countless health benefits, and that holds true for our children
as well, which is why both the American Heart Association and
the USDA recommend that kids eat their “age plus five” in
grams of fiber every day. (For example, a six-year-old should
consume at least 11 grams of fiber daily: 6 + 5 = 11.) In addition
to helping prevent many of the chronic diseases so prevalent
in today’s society, high-fiber foods such as fruits,
vegetables, legumes, whole grains, nuts and seeds can help
kids control their hunger and maintain a healthy body weight.
Because of the bulk that high-fiber foods add
to a meal, they help young children as well as adults feel full
longer after eating, and this can help promote less snacking
throughout the day. Further, foods that are high in fiber generally
have a lower energy density (the number of calories in a particular
volume or weight of food) than foods with fewer grams of fiber,
so they pack fewer calories per bite.
Fiber also slows down the rate at which the body
converts carbohydrates into sugar, which is particularly important
when considering the growing rate of diabetes (a disease marked
by elevated blood sugar levels) among today’s children.
Essentially, fiber-rich foods help support blood glucose levels
by slowing down the time it takes food to leave the stomach and
delaying the absorption of glucose (blood sugar) from a meal.
By providing a healthy balance of high-fiber
meals and snacks, parents become role models by setting an example
for good nutrition. When kids see moms, dads and other family
members choosing healthier options, they will inevitably want
to do the same. It may be easier to make gradual changes such
as choosing whole grain breads and cereals or replacing snack
crackers with apples and peanut butter, but the benefits will
be more than worth it in the long run. Fiber also provides the
added benefit of helping kids stay regular. Its natural ability
to move food through the digestive system helps promote healthy
bowel movements and prevent constipation.
Get Active
Do you ever get the feeling that your kids are spending more
time on the couch each day than they do on their feet? When
children spend too much time watching TV and playing video
games, their bodies are missing out on one of the most important
things they can do to stay healthy: exercise.
According to the National Institutes of Health,
kids should get at least an hour of physical exercise every day
to help build healthy bones and keep muscles and joints strong
and flexible. Regular exercise can also help burn calories and
promote healthy cholesterol and blood sugar levels. And amid
the ever-growing pressures of academic and social life, taking
a break and getting active can help ease stress, increase mental
clarity and boost their self-esteem. It has even been shown to
help kids sleep better at night.
Parents can help set a good example by making
daily exercise a priority. Family bike rides and walks are a
great way to get kids involved, and chances are when they see
you making an effort to get active, your children will want to
follow suit. |
