Healthy Snacks Activity
School Lunch Ideas-Preschool Snacks & Cooking For Kids
Child-Specific Nutritional Guidelines For Healthy and Active Kids
Submitted by Toni Wayne, Personal Wellness Coach - In Shape Zone, www.inshapezone.com
Kids need calories, protein, fiber, and some sugar and some fats in appropriate portion sizes. It is best to avoid an overabundance of "bad fats" and "empty carbs". To help busy parents who may not have the time to plan sufficiently to ensure that the kids are getting the essential nutrients required every day, I offer the following as a starting point.
QUESTIONS
1. Who prepares the child's meals? A parent? The child? The grandparent? Other?
2. Does any adult know what or how much the child is eating? Is there a limit on what the child eats? Who makes this determination? How often does your child get "seconds" at meals?
3. How many times per week does your child watch TV while eating a meal?
4. How many meals per week does the whole family sit down at the table together?
5. How many servings of vegetables and fruits does your child eat daily?
6. How many times a week does your child eat out? Eat home?
7. Does your child wake up on the middle of the night to eat?
8. What type of activities does the family do for fun?
9. Are there any issues related to your child's food habits or diet that you are concerned about?
TIPS
1. Monitor your child's weight regularly. Ask the doctor what weight and gaining patterns would be healthiest for your child.
2. Offer your child water, skim or 1% milk and diet beverages only. (applies to 4 years old and up)
3. Limit juice intake to no more than 4 oz per day.
4. Include at least 5 servings of vegetables and fruits daily into your child's meal and snacking plan.
5. Eat at home more often.
6. Eat family meals together WITHOUT WATCHING TV.
7. Increase your child 's physical activity to 60 minutes a day while decreasing "screen time" e.g. computers, videos, TV, handheld games to LESS THAN 2 HOURS PER DAY.
8. If your child eats in reaction to emotional triggers such as boredom, anxiety, stress, loneliness, you may wish to address these issues with solutions that DO NOT include food.
PORTIONS
1. If you are not in full control and knowledge of how much your child is eating, keep a food diary for 1 week to record the portions your child is currently eating. During this week, measure the portions as you prepare the food and write it down. If other measuring methods don't fit or make sense, then actually count the french fries or snack pieces.
2. Away from home you may consider sharing portions between children or taking home half of the serving. Avoid supersize meals. Share desserts.
3. Use smaller plates and bowls at home to help control portions.
4. Create or purchase "100 calorie" snack packs.
UNDERSTANDING SERVING SIZES BY USING YOUR HAND
1. A fist or cupped hand = 1 cup
1 serving = 1/2 cup ceral, cooked pasta or rice
1 serving = 1 cup of raw, leafy green veggies
1 serving = 1/2 cup of cooked or raw chopped vegetables or fruits
2. A Thump TIP = 1 Teaspoon (the nail area of your thumb)
Measure servings of fats such as butter, peanut butter, and mayo with your thumb tip to keep serving size to a minimum.
3 teaspoons = 1 tablespoon
3. A Thumb = 1 oz of cheese
1.5 oz of low-fat cheese counts as 1 of the 2 - 3 daily recommended servings for dairy.
Measure by using your whole thumb down to the base.
4. Palm = 3 oz of meat
2 servings or 6 oz of lean meat (poulty, fish, shellfish, beef) should be part of a daily diet for adults and most older children.
One palm size portion = about 3 oz or 1 serving for your smaller child.
5. Handful = 1 to 2 oz of snack food such as nuts, trail mix, dried fruit
PORTIONS BY FOOD GROUP
1. PROTEIN
3 oz meat is about the size and thickness of a deck of playing cards.
2 tablespoons of peanut butter is about the size of a golf ball
1 oz nuts is about 1 handful
2. VEGETABLES
1 cup of mashed potatoes or broccoli is about the size of your fist
3. FRUIT
A medium size apple is about the size of a tennis ball
4. DAIRY
1 oz cheese is about the size of 4 stacked dice.
1/2 cup of ice cream is about the size of a tennis ball
5. GRAINS
A 4" pancake is about the size of a CD.
1/2 cup of cooked rice or pasta is about the size of an ice cream scooper
6. FATS
1 teaspoon of butter is about the size of the tip of your thumb.
YOUR CHILD'S PLATE SHOULD BE:
25% protein
25% whole grains
15% fruit
35% vegetables
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