| You send your kids to school each day so they | | | | The WPHC nutrition department offers the |
| can learn the skills they’ll need to grow into | | | | following tips for sending your children off to |
| happy, successful adults. But one of the most | | | | school with the ABC’s of good nutrition: |
| important lessons your children will learn is taught | | | | - Ask your children to help you select nutritious |
| not while they’re sitting at a desk, but while | | | | snacks at the supermarket, such as fruits, carrots |
| they’re sitting at the breakfast table. | | | | or |
| Good nutrition is essential during childhood and | | | | - pretzels. This way, you can guide them in |
| parents are critical in helping shape the eating | | | | making healthier choices that they’ll still love |
| habits of their children. “I know how difficult it | | | | to eat. |
| can be to get everyone together once your kids | | | | - Brown bag it – pack your child’s lunch |
| head back to school – you’re running to | | | | when possible. |
| pick up one child from soccer practice, take the | | | | - Control portion sizes – a deck of cards is a |
| other to music lessons and still one more to a | | | | good reference for the amount of protein you |
| swim meet,” says Geralyn Plomitallo, clinical | | | | should serve for a meal. |
| nutrition manager of White Plains Hospital Center | | | | - Drink low-fat milk (skim, 1% or 2%) instead of |
| (WPHC), a leading healthcare provider in | | | | full fat milk. |
| Westchester County, New York, “but eating | | | | - Eat brightly colored fruits and vegetables with |
| together as a family is important to establishing | | | | meals or as snacks. |
| good eating habits.” | | | | - Fast food can have healthier options. Choose |
| Plomitallo says parents are the ones who set the | | | | foods that are baked or grilled rather than fried. |
| example for children when it comes to choosing | | | | - Go for water instead of sugary drinks, like juice |
| the right foods when they’re not at home. | | | | or soda. According to the US Department of |
| One important lesson to learn is how to handle | | | | Health & Human Services the percentage of |
| sweets. “It may be difficult to keep your kids | | | | young people who are overweight has more than |
| away from sweets altogether, but you can | | | | tripled since 1980. And overweight adolescents |
| change the way they think about snacks. Give | | | | have a 70% chance of becoming overweight or |
| them a bowl of strawberries or a group of | | | | obese adults. Overweight or obese adults are at |
| grapes instead of the usual ice cream or cake for | | | | risk for a number of health problems including |
| dessert.” Keep in mind, eating healthy | | | | heart disease, type 2 diabetes, high blood |
| doesn’t mean you can’t have that cake | | | | pressure, and some forms of cancer. By starting |
| and ice cream once in a while. Plomitallo says, | | | | your kids on a healthy path early in life, you can |
| unless you have a food allergy, just about | | | | help them establish eating habits that will serve |
| everything is okay in moderation. | | | | them well at any age. |