Nutrition tips your child can stick to

A diet rich in fruits and vegetables will provide your child with vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients that are vital for growth, development and optimal immune function. Make it a goal for your child to eat five servings of fruits and five servings of vegetables each day. You may face resistance at first, but tell your child to try to keep an open mind, as it may take 10 to 20 times of eating a food before it becomes tasty for him or her.

Spicing up fruits and veggies:

Think outside the box when preparing fruits and vegetables for your child, who may like these ideas:

• Include dip or dressing with fruits and vegetables to add flavor. Hummus or low-fat salad dressing for veggies and yogurt or peanut butter for fruits could help your child enjoy his or her food more.
• Make a smoothie. This is an easy way for your child to reach his or her fruit and/or veggie goal. We recommend skim milk and low-fat or nonfat yogurt with your favorite fruits or vegetables. Don’t add extra sugar.
• Offer unfamiliar fruits and vegetables to your child. This could add excitement to a routine.
• Add fruits to your child’s breakfast. Fruits taste great with cereal and oatmeal.

Including whole grains in your child’s diet can help reduce the risk of some chronic diseases. Unlike refined grains, whole grains contain the entire grain kernel, which is packed with important nutrients. You should make sure at least half of your child’s grains are whole grains. Bread, pasta, oatmeal, breakfast cereals, tortillas and grits, to name a few, are all available in whole grain varieties.

A couple of easy changes you could make for your child:

• Substitute a refined product with a whole grain item. For example, make a sandwich for your child with 100% whole wheat bread rather than white bread. Cook a pasta or rice dish using whole grains.
• Incorporate whole grains into your child’s snacks. You could offer him or her 100% whole wheat or rye crackers with low-fat cheese.

Remember this: When looking for whole grains, remember to check the ingredients. The first ingredient should say “whole wheat flour” or “whole grain flour.” Avoid enriched grains and white grains.

Protein is essential in everyone’s diet, but especially your child’s because it promotes growth and development. However, most Americans don’t get enough and some eat more than they need to. People 9 and older should eat 5 to 7 ounces of protein each day. It's important to select for your child a variety of lean protein food to maximize the nutrient's health benefits. This includes at least 8 ounces of cooked seafood per week. Younger children need less protein, depending in part on their age and daily caloric needs.

Protein can be found in:

• Meat
• Poultry
• Seafood
• Beans
• Peas
• Processed soy products
• Nuts
• Seeds

Ways to incorporate protein into your child’s meals:

• Use more beans, peas and nuts in your child’s main dishes. These items could also be eaten as snacks. Make sure to choose unsalted varieties and to watch the portions your child consumes.
• Experiment with your current recipes to figure out whether adding more protein sources makes sense.
• Cook seafood two times per week.
• Make eggs for breakfast; there are a lot of ways you could prepare them for your child: scrambled, boiled, poached.
• Construct a healthy sandwich. Choose turkey, grilled chicken or peanut butter and jelly on your child’s favorite 100% whole wheat bread. Be mindful about the sodium content in deli meats.

Protein guidelines:

(1 ounce equivalent = 1 ounce of cooked beef, poultry or fish; ¼ cup cooked beans; 1 egg; 1 Tbsp peanut butter; ½ ounce of nuts)

Ages 1-2: 2 oz/day

Ages 2-3: 2-3 oz/day

Ages 4-8: 3-5 oz/day

Ages 9-13: 5 oz/day

Ages 14-18: 5-6 oz/day

Milk and food made from milk are loaded with important nutrients for your child, particularly calcium, which is crucial for the proper development of teeth and bones. The U.S. Department of Agriculture recommends most youths drink milk or eat milk products in the following amounts per day:

Ages 1-3: 2 cups

Ages 4-8: 3 cups

Preteens & older: 4 cups

“My child can’t or won’t drink milk or eat milk products. What now?”

You could do a few things if your child must or chooses to stay away from dairy, such as offering other food with calcium or a calcium supplement.

Nondairy sources of calcium:

• Beet greens
• Kale
• Canned salmon
• Broccoli
• Navy or pinto beans
• Almonds
• Oranges

Speak to your health care provider for more guidance.

Food items rich in fiber, or plant parts your body cannot digest, come with a variety of health benefits for your child. The nutrient is filling, full of vitamins and minerals and helpful in the maintenance of a healthy weight. It also can prevent constipation, diabetes and heart disease. But adding more fiber into your child’s diet must be done slowly to allow his or her body to adjust. While doing so, make sure your child drinks plenty of water.

How much fiber is enough?

• Children 3 to 15 years of age should aim for their age in years plus 5 to 10 grams of fiber per day. For example: An 8-year-old should have 8 + 5 to 10 = 13 to 18 grams of fiber per day.
• Older teens should aim for 20 to 35 grams of fiber per day.

Easy ways to boost your child’s fiber intake:

• Make high-fiber cereals such as oatmeal, shredded wheat or bran flakes for breakfast. Add berries or raisins.
• Serve fruits instead of fruit juices.
• Keep the skin on apples, pears and potatoes.
• Choose vegetables high in fiber, such as carrots, winter squash, broccoli and cauliflower.
• Prepare a salad for lunch.
• Add beans like kidney or navy beans, chickpeas or lentils to soups, salads or any entrée.
• Offer popcorn as a snack, though be careful as this is a choking hazard.

There’s a reason why doctors say breakfast is the most important meal of the day: It provides an energy boost in the morning, fuels the body, jump-starts metabolism and helps concentration. For full benefits, it should be eaten within two hours of waking up.

“What if my child isn’t hungry in the mornings?”

Start your child off with something small and work his or her way up to something bigger. To begin with, offer a piece of fruit or a slice of toast, yogurt, cereal or even an English muffin with peanut butter or low-fat cream cheese.

Water is fuel for the body:

Kids who eat healthy, drink enough water and sleep well at night will have more energy for school and activities. Water is the No. 1 thirst quencher. When you exercise, you sweat and lose essential vitamins and minerals so remember to drink plenty of water to give your body the fuel it needs. Energy drinks and many sport drinks contain high amounts of sugar and should not be used to replace water during exercise.

How much sugar are you drinking?

When you drink 8 ounces of these drinks, you're also consuming this much sugar:

Drink (8 oz.): Sugar (grams)

Water: 0

Milk: 11

Orange juice (100%): 22

Soda: 27

Juice drink (10% juice): 38

Remember this: Juice products labeled as "ade," "drink" or "punch" often contain less than 5% juice. Popular among kids, juices provide little to no health benefits for your child and can lead to diarrhea, gas, malnutrition, obesity and tooth decay. Even 100% juice contains a significant amount of sugar. It's always better to offer whole fruits instead of juice.