Nutrition and Children

Good nutrition and eating habits are very important in everyone’s life, but especially in a child’s life. Developing these good habits early in life will lead to a healthy lifestyle in adulthood. Good nutrition and eating habits are crucial during childhood in maintaining overall health and providing the necessary nutrients for growth and development. They are also important in fighting off infections, colds, and other communicable diseases, and providing energy to play and socialize with other children (Robertson, 2007).

Active Help
Adults should actively help children develop good nutrition and healthy eating habits because children lack the skills to choose nutritional foods. Children need supervision and education in good nutrition and eating habits. Role modeling is one way this active help can be accomplished. This encourages the children to eat healthy as well. Adults can also help children develop good eating habits by exposing infants to solid foods, one food at a time, beginning with the vegetables first. This allows the infants to acquire a taste for the healthy foods before exposure to the sweet foods, such as fruits. This also exposes the child to a well-balanced, nutritional diet. Adults can help children develop good nutrition and eating habits by eating meals in family style. Engage in conversations with the children about the importance of the foods they are eating, and why they are important. Involving children in the selection and preparation of foods can also help them develop good nutrition and eating habits.

Child Involvement
Involve the children in the preparation of foods. It will be a learning experience for them. Children can learn about colors, numbers, shapes, and measuring while helping adults prepare meals. Children as young as two years old can help prepare meals by wiping table tops and washing vegetables and salad greens. Three-year-olds can help by mixing ingredients and throwing things in the trash. Four-year-olds can help by mashing bananas and setting the table. Five and six-year-olds can help by measuring ingredients and using a blunt knife (Team Nutrition Iowa, 2009). These are examples of help for each age group. Children love to feel like an adult. Allowing children to help in the kitchen is a very good way to give them self-confidence that they are doing something that adults normally do.

Recipes

Pyramid Yogurt Sundae - Young children can help with this recipe by pouring the yogurt, cereal and nuts into a bowl, and by topping the yogurt with the bananas. Older children can help by measuring the foods and slicing the bananas.

2 cups of nonfat vanilla flavored yogurt
3 bananas
1/2 cup coarsely crushed cereal
1/2 cup chopped nuts

Divide yogurt between 5 serving bowls. Slice the bananas and place in a bowl. Place crushed cereal in a bowl. Place chopped nuts in a bowl. Have the kids top their yogurt with bananas, cereal and nuts. Enjoy! Serves 5.

Symphony of Fruit Pizza - Young children can help with this recipe by arranging the fruit on top of the cream cheese. Older children can help by spreading cream cheese on the muffin and slicing the fruit.

1 English muffin
2 tablespoons whipped fat-free strawberry cream cheese
¼ cup strawberries, sliced
¼ cup red grapes, quartered
¼ cup canned mandarin oranges, drained

Toast the English muffin until golden brown. Spread cream cheese on toasted muffin. Arrange sliced strawberries, grapes, and orange slices on top of the cream cheese. Slice into quarters and “yummy – fruit pizza!” Serves: 1

Nutrition Information per serving: calories: 228, total fat: 1.3g, saturated fat: 0g, % calories from fat: 5%, % calories from saturated fat: 0%, protein: 10g, carbohydrates: 46g, cholesterol: 5mg, dietary fiber: 4g, sodium: 374mg
Each serving provides: An excellent source of vitamins A and C, and a good source of folate and fiber.

Veggie Dip - Young children can help with this recipe by mixing the ingredients together. The older children can help by measuring, or even cutting up the vegetables to serve with the dip.

1 cup low-fat sour cream
1 cup low-fat yogurt, plain or vanilla
1 1-oz. pkg. dry ranch salad dressing mix

Combine ingredients. Refrigerate for 1/2 hour. Serve with assorted vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, celery, green pepper, mushrooms, or cucumber slices.

Nutritional Value of the Recipes
The nutritional value of the Pyramid Yogurt Sundae recipe includes the fact that it contains foods from four different food groups. Those groups include milk, fruit, grain, and meat. This is considered to be a well-balanced snack. The nutritional value of the Symphony of Fruit Pizza recipe includes the fact that is contains foods from three food groups: grain, milk, and fruit. It also contains 1.3 grams of fat, 0 grams of saturated fat, and is a good source of vitamin C and fiber. The nutritional value of the Veggie Dip recipe includes the low-fat foods within the recipe. The Veggie Dip is also nutritional in that it is to be eaten with fresh vegetables.

References

Farner, B. (2009). Food for thought. University of Illinois. Retrieved March 23, 2009 from http://urbanext.illinois.edu/foodforthought/

Fruits & veggies more matters. (2008). Produce for Better Health Foundation. Retrieved March 23, 2009 from http://www.fruitsandveggiesmorematters.org/?page_id=442

Robertson, C. (2007). Safety, Nutrition, and Health in Early Education. (3rd ed.). Clifton Park, NY: Thomson Delmar Learning.

Team Nutrition Iowa. (2009). Physical Activities and Healthy Snacks for Young Children. Retrieved March 25, 2009 from http://healthymeals.nal.usda.gov/hsmrs/Iowa/Physical_Activities_%20Healthy_Snacks.pdf