Healthy Eating Habits for School Age Kids

A preteen is also known as a pre-adolescent or a tweenie. This refers to a child that is between ten and twelve years of age. Some kids this age have special nutritional needs because they are starting puberty a bit early. Some of them experience a slower appetite because they have yet to enter adolescent. Still others start growing like a weed and may eat more food than you thought imaginable.

Your child also might be short some essential nutrients due to growth spurts and hormonal changes. If you have a kid that does not seem to be eating right then consider supplementing the diet with vitamin A, fiber, folic acid, calcium, zinc and iron.

It is not unusual for a kid this age to experience craving for all kinds of different foods. If you want the child to stay healthy keep your home full of healthy options like vegetarian burritos, fruit and vegetable sticks. Do not tempt fate by keeping a lot of junk food in the refrigerator.

It is quite easy to make low fat versions of junk food favorites like a Filet-o-Fish, Fried Chicken or Tacos. All you need to do is look for these recipes on the internet. Many of them can be redone using healthy ingredients.

Many kids also like ethnic dishes, especially Chinese food, Mexican food and Indian food. These are healthy cuisines. Make your own version of popular dishes like chicken chow mein, quesadillas and vegetable curry and leave the extra salt and MSG out. Greek food is also very healthy for a child to eat because it is cooked with olives and olive oil. These contain fatty omega3 acids that are very good for brain development.

One way to encourage a child around this age to eat well is to appeal to his or her vanity. They are just starting to notice the opposite sex and want to look attractive. You need to describe how eating vegetables will make them have beautiful shiny hair, create healthy skin or cause them to grow taller. There is nothing like a bit of self-interest to make a child choose a salad over a bag of Fritos. This is also a good way to encourage a child to remember to take his or her vitamins.

Above all it is important for you to set a good example by eating a healthy diet yourself. Do not take a 'do as I say, not as I do' attitude.

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Staying a Young and Fit Mom

People who have bad nutrition often look much older than they really are. This is because over time they literally become constructed out of things that are not that good for them

I don't know about you but I don't like it when my kids point out things like the wrinkles around my eyes. My son started calling me Big Butt the other day. I did not appreciate it. However he was right.

So how can you avoid having your kids seeing you as too old or making those cute little cracks about your age or weight?

Health experts recommend a diet that emphasizes whole grains and fresh fruits and vegetables as well as other tips:

· Drink eight to ten cups of fluid every day, and make at least five of those cups of fluid water. Water is needed by each and every one of your cells, including those in your skin to renew themselves. If you live in an area where the water is possibly polluted drink bottled water or distilled water.

· Limit your daily intake caffeinated and alcoholic beverages, which can wreak havoc with the nervous system and cause insulin spikes in blood sugar. This can also help create a big fat belly.

· Stay away from carbonated beverages, which are thought to be hard on the pancreas and increase insulin production. Studies have shown that people have lost as much as fifteen pounds in one month simply by cutting out colas from their diet!

· Reduce the amount of saturated fat in your diet and replace it with healthy monounsaturated fats such as that in olive, canola, sunflower, safflower and soybean oils.

· When snacking, choose fruits, vegetables or whole-grain products and avoid sugary or refined products.

· Choose foods that have good calories and that give you the most nutritional intake for the effort it takes to ingest them. For instance a slice of whole grain bread is more nutrient dense than a slice of white bread even though both are approximately 90 calories.

· Eat several small meals a day to keep your blood sugars level. Many doctors recommend doing this to prevent bloating and weight gaian.

· Choose brightly colored fruits and vegetables as they contain antioxidants that assist in the fight against aging. They have more vitamins and minerals.

  • Avoid processed foods, artificial coloring, deep fried foods and monosodium glutamates (MSG) which are thought to accelerate the aging process, especially with regards to the skin include sugar, chocolate, preserved meat, chips, French fries and other kinds of junk food.

This is not just advice for you. It isa lifestyle and way of eating that is also good for your kids if you want them to grow up lean, healthy and happy.

Of course my main motive is to have my kids get to know me for as many years as possible.

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