5 great diet tips for kids!

Here are 5 great tips to help with a healthy diet!

 

-    Try to eat 4-5 servings (roughly, a handful) of fruits and veggies each day. This will give you necessary vitamins and help you not get sick and live a long, healthy life! The more colorful, the better – examples such as dark green leafy veggies like spinach and kale are packed with fiber and essential vitamins (A, K and folate) These nutrients help with your eyes, skin, immune system, etc. Examples such as citrus fruits and berries are great because they are packed with Vitamin C, boosting your immune system as well as serving as antioxidants (aids in cancer prevention).

-    Try to make breads and pastas “whole grain” – typically says it on the packaging and the product may appear darker. These options will help you stay full longer as well as providing your body with increased essential nutrients (mainly B complex vitamins), help to prevent forms of coronary heart disease as well as aiding in healthy and regular digestion.

-       Try to drink 2%, 1% or skim dairy options instead of whole milk and full fat yogurts and cheese. This will keep your calories down but still give you an ample source of Calcium and Vitamin D for strong bones! Nutrients within dairy also aid in growth and development as well as creating and maintaining a healthy skeletal system throughout life.

-       Try to limit sweets and candy. These are considered “empty calories” and typically are converted directly into stored fat. These options can also create a short-lived “sugar high” effect as an individual’s insulin is spiked, and shortly dropped to a “low” where energy is completely depleted.

   -  Try to limit fast food options (i.e. McDonalds, Wendy's, etc.) - these tend to be calorically dense and essentially void of nutrients, challenging on your digestive track as well as packed with saturated fat and grease.

Facts concerning appropriate nutrients in the "food pyramid"