Posted on Fri, Oct. 31, 2008
Come snack time, parents can't always be there to snatch a cookie from their child and replace it with a carrot. But there are ways to prime kids to choose wisely when adults aren't around.
Parents should make clear there's a difference between a snack and a treat. Snacks are a necessary part of a healthy diet on a day-to-day basis. Treats such as candy bars and ice cream should be limited to certain times, events and places, which makes them all the more special, says Madeleine Sigman-Grant, a children's nutrition specialist, University of Nevada Cooperative Extension, Reno.
"Most children need some food between meals," Sigman-Grant says. "It's helpful to view snacks as an opportunity to assist children in meeting their energy and nutrient needs. Then, the snack becomes part of meal planning, and snack time isn't an excuse to eat treats."
The Web site MyPyramid.gov, maintained by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, provides kids' meal plans and shows how many servings from each food group children need. Parents should stock the fridge and pantry with snacks that satisfy those needs and involve kids in the process. Younger kids might enjoy using stickers and a chart to keep track of their daily servings.
The key to instilling healthy snacking habits is to involve kids in food preparation from an early age, says MaryAnn F. Kohl, author of "Snacktivities! 50 Edible Activities for Parents and Young Children" (Robins Lane Press 2003).
"If their first encounter with a food is fun, they'll be more likely to develop a taste for it," Kohl says.
"Children have a strong need to make decisions for themselves," Kohl says. "If they can decide how the food is going to look on the plate, sometimes that's all it takes for kids. It's an autonomy issue - it's not just mom putting food in front of them."
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