Name: Article with Strip
4 x 10.25"
Customer Name: FREEMAN HEALTH SYSTEM
Ad Number: 032722NWR8301
www.freemanhealth.com/peds
FROM
THE
FIRST
DAY
TO
HIGH
SCHOOL
GRADUATION
YOU HAVE A HOME
FOR YOUR
CHILD'S HEALTHCARE!
freemanhealth.com/peds
By Dr. Amanda Dickerson,
Freeman Health System
pediatrician
If your child's favorite food belongs
cake-and-cookies food group, you're
not alone. While children do naturally
have a bit of a sweet tooth, many of
their eating preferences are learned and
changeable. And that's great news for
parents trying to raise healthy kids.
The American Association of Pediatrics
(AAP) recommends that children eat
two to four servings of fruit and three
to five servings of vegetables each day.
Beyond reducing the risk of childhood
obesity, these foods provide essential
vitamins and minerals that help ensure
your child's health and development.
Here are some steps you can take today
to help set your child up for a lifetime
of healthy eating:
• Make healthy foods easy to access
in your home.
Just like adults, kids
are more likely to reach for the snack
that's ready to eat than the one they
have to prepare. Make healthy choices
easy by keeping fresh fruit in a bowl
in the kitchen and having ready-to-eat
vegetables (like carrot sticks, snap peas
or cherry tomatoes) on an easy-to-reach
shelf in the fridge.
• Limit juice and fruit snacks, and
opt for whole fruits instead. Juice and
fruit snacks might seem like a good
way to help your child reach their daily
recommended servings of fruit, but they
contain a lot of added sugar and almost
none of the fiber of whole fruits. Children
younger than one should not drink juice
at all. Children ages one to three should
have no more than four ounces of juice
daily, and kids ages four to six should
have no more than four to six ounces
daily. Even after age six, fruit juice
should be limited to eight ounces a day.
• Try different preparation methods.
Some children like their veggies raw
and crunchy, but others may prefer the
softer texture of cooked vegetables.
Find what your child prefers.
• Eat together as a family. Set
a positive example for your
child by eating your meals
together so your child can
see you enjoy a balanced
diet.
• Keep mealtimes
positive. Forcing or
nagging your child to
eat healthy food can
actually create negative
feelings about the food,
making it less likely that
they'll eat it. Try to focus
on the positive aspects of the meal. If
your child does not like a food, that's
okay. Give it some time and try offing
that food again later.
If you are concerned about your child's
nutrition, reach out to your family's
pediatrician for advice that is tailored to
your child and your family.
Visit freemanhealth.com/pediatrics
for more information about pediatric
services at Freeman Health System.
You can also visit healthchildren.
org for more information about AAP
recommendations.
Creating Healthy Eating Habits
SponSor Content
to Last a Lifetime
8 • APRIL 2022 • www.OfficialKidsMag.com
