5 More Healthy Eating Tips for Kids

It’s week three of your children’s brand new school year and we’re sure they’re loving the new additions to their meal plans. Soon, you’ll be noticing the difference too! offers five more health-ful tips for your family.

1 – Know your fats and keep saturated fats at bay!
Unfortunately, just because it’s tasty, doesn’t mean its healthy… While some fats are healthy, go easy on (or discourage) butter, spreads, fried foods, pies and pastries. Find healthy tasty alternatives rather than “cold-turkey-ing” your child’s unhealthy food choices. If they’ve indulged in a high fat lunch, prepare a low-fat dinner to keep their healthy diet in balance.

2 – Encourage Healthy Snacking
Eating regularly encourages your body to shed its “just-in-case” fat reserves. Whether your child is very active or not, healthy snacking helps to maintain blood-sugar levels (read: less tantrums and more energy). Vary the size and type of snack according to variations in your child’s eating schedule or daily activity level. Fruits, nuts and small sandwiches are great in-between-er snacks!

3 – Just Add Water!
Encourage your children to up their water intake and even selecting it over other unhealthy choices. Remind your children that more than half their weight is water…so they need to keep themselves “topped up”. Children should drink at least 5 glasses of liquids a day. Fruit juices are generally high in sugar, just like sodas, which will also dehydrate your child. Make water more exciting for your child, add a natural fruit flavoring such as lemon or lime juice, or even play with the coloring. Go easy…or they’ll go to school with a blue mouth!

4 – Teach Your Child to Care for Their Teeth.
No one wants to have to go to the dentist outside of our regular check-ups. Encourage children to brush their teeth at least twice a day with a fluoride toothpaste. Discourage continual snacking and drinking (other than water) throughout the day and help your child try to avoid eating foods with high sugar and starch content too often.

5 – Get Moving!
Remind your child that like an unused bicycle, our muscles, organs and bones need regular exercise (and good fuel) to avoid becoming ‘rusty’ or weak. Exercise can also be a lot of fun, as well as a great bonding activity with the family or with friends. Their amount of daily activity may vary from walking, to playing soccer or for a great total body workout, swimming! Just like for us adults, overtime, exercise becomes easier and more enjoyable!

Encourage these small changes in your children’s lives today. They, and your grandchildren, will thank you later!