Nutrition - Feeding You and Your Family

Feeding You and Your Family - Children (6-12 years)

Young boy Nutrition is important to people of all ages, but is particularly important to the well-being of children. Well-nourished children are more likely to be better prepared to learn, be active and maintain their health as adults. Today many children have unhealthy eating patterns which are contributing to the rising rate of childhood overweight, obesity and type 2 diabetes. Not only are these poor eating habits in childhood a concern, it is likely they will be transferred into adulthood and increase the risk of chronic diseases such as cancer and heart disease.

Healthy Eating Starts at Home

Getting kids to make healthy food choices can be tough. The following suggestions can help put your family on the road to healthy eating.

� Use positive messages. Let kids know there are no good or bad foods; everything can be eaten in moderation. Encourage them to choose most foods from the four food groups in Canada's Food Guide

� Be a good role model. Children are strongly influenced by their parents eating habits and attitudes towards food. If they see you eating healthy foods, they will likely follow suit

� Make healthy eating easy. Keep "ready to eat" healthy foods on hand for when hunger strikes

� Involve children in planning meals, preparing breakfast, packing lunches, and selecting snacks. Use this as an opportunity to talk about healthy choices

� Set "nutrition ground rules" so children know what to expect. For example, everyone in the family eats breakfast, milk is the beverage served with meals, after school snacks come from the four food groups

Below are Some Answers to Commonly Asked Questions about Feeding Your School-Age Child:

1. Does my child need a vitamin pill?

2. Should my child be on a low fat diet?

3. What do I do with all the Halloween candy?

4. Does sugar really make my child hyperactive?

5. Are our kids drinking too much pop?

6. What's the difference between fruit juice and fruit drinks?

7. Is it ok for my child to drink energy drinks

8. How do I get my child to eat more fruit and vegetables?

9. Do children need sports drinks?

For more information about feeding children and /or specific nutrient requirements for children call EatRight Ontario at 1-877-510-5102 to speak to a registered dietitian.

Does Your Child's School Support Healthy Eating?

Are healthy food choices offered for school celebrations, or for catered lunches? If not, you may want to speak to your principal about improving the nutrition environment. A healthy school nutrition environment exists when a school promotes healthy eating through words and actions. Students are taught healthy eating lessons, and the school community provides plenty of opportunities to practice what they learn.

Want to get involved in improving the choices at your child's school? Nutrition Tools for Schools (NTS) is an online community and an interactive, web-based resource for Ontario schools. Join to get tips, tools and ideas to create a healthy nutrition environment in your school. NTS will also help your school to meet the Ontario School Food and Beverage Policy (PPM 150). Visit http://www.nutritiontoolsforschools.ca/ for more information and to register your school today!

A complete listing of all fact sheets and resources on nutrition and school-age children is available on the Nutrition Services Fact Sheet web page. For more information on nutrition and school-age children visit Eat Right Ontario.

External Links:

Elementary Healthy Schools Program

Eating Well with Canada's Food Guide

Eat Right Be Active

Parent School Newsletter Inserts