Get the Best Winter Activities
For grains, at least half of the servings should be whole grain. This includes whole wheat pasta, whole grain bread, unprocessed bran cereal and oatmeal. If you are not sure, look at the food label. The ingredients should be minimally processed. Choose whole wheat or unbleached flour over processed flour. And look at the number of grams of fiber per serving. The less processed a food, the more of its natural fiber stays intact. Three grams per serving is the minimum.
There are three specific recommendations for protein. First, move from animal to alternate sources, such as beans, nuts and seeds. Soybeans, chickpeas, black beans and kidney beans are nutritional powerhouses containing protein and fiber. Second, choose lean animal proteins such as fish and lean poultry. Select white meat over dark meat chicken, and make it skinless. Third, protein, such as fish and nuts, along with vegetable oils, will be the main providers of fat.
As for exercise, 60 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity most days of the week is recommended. You think to yourself that should be easy, my kids never sit still. Fidgeting does not constitute moderate intensity activity. Rather, running, climbing, dancing, skating, and fast walking qualify.
If your child’s diet and exercise don’t look like this, start small. Make a minor change, such as adding vegetables to main dishes or switching higher fiber bread for white bread weekly. Other suggestions are to include your children in menu planning and meal preparation and find rewards other than food and TV. For more suggestions, go to the USDA’s website: www.nutrition.gov.
NOTE: The current USDA guidelines are for children over 2 years old. For babies, Gerber has published Start Healthy Feeding Guidelines for Infants and Toddlers. These guidelines address such issues as iron, ‘order of introduction’ of new foods, and use (or misuse) of food as a reward. The guidelines can be downloaded at www.gerber.com.
