Tips for Feeding Preteens

A Preteen is usually defined as being a kid that is between to 10 to 13 years old. The good news is that most kids are just lovely during these years and being naturally active they will eat anything on their plate.

However some preteens might be pickier because they have actually slowed down growing a bit. If the child eats less, it might simply biological. However if there is a lot of emotional drama going on around the food then you might have some problems.

1.
If your child is picky about eating food realize it might be more about you than the food …ego struggles are likely at this age. Patience and non-resistance is key.

2.
Do not be surprised if your child is a binge eater or craves one particular food. As long as it is not an unhealthy food like sugar you should indulge the craving.

3.
Train your child to eat eight servings of antioxidant laden fruit and vegetables a day by eating by color!

4.
Do not be surprised if your preteen starts talking about becoming a vegetarian; this is a 'hot topic' around the first decade of life and should be encouraged as long as your child gets all of the vitamins they need in supplements (especially B12 which is only found in meat.)

5.
Discourage your teen from being an emotional eater; explain how food should not be used to abate extreme feelings or avoid dealing with reality.

6.
Be aware of the signs of anorexia and bulimia and get your pre-adolescent help quickly if you suspect self-image problems; even though these are disorders that are more associated with teenagers they can start a very young age.

7.
Reward your child financially or otherwise somehow if they resist the temptation to eat in the school cafeteria and take a brown bag to lunch

8.
Continue to take your child shopping and encourage him or her to read nutritional labels and try new foods

9.
Encourage your child to cook meals for the family; in some areas of the country you can even send your ten year old to a cooking and nutrition class. Usually these types of classes advertise through a Learning Annex or extended education brochure.

10.
Your child can read and learn from online sources at this point so be sure to take advantage of interactive tools on the internet that might encourage him or her to pay more attention to her health.

Above all be patient, understanding and talk to your kids. Understanding where they are at goes a long way towards helping them develop life-long healthy eating patterns.

Parenting Tips
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Special Nutritional Needs of Teens

In theory a teenager needs three square meals a day and to eat several nutritious snacks a day to stay healthy. However most teens are as restless as they were when they were growing toddlers. That is because they are going through another growing spurt.

It may be hard for many different reasons to get your teenager to sit down with your family and eat a meal. However this is crucial to getting some control of his or her diet.

One trick is to assign one duty to your teen every day or two and that is to cook the entire family dinner. That way the teen is occupied with matters to do with nutrition and has less time to eat after school. Yet another benefit to this approach is that the food that your teen will consume over a period of months will be healthier than if you let someone else in the house be the chef.

National and population-based surveys, like one done at the have found that adolescents often fail to meet dietary recommendations for overall nutritional status and for specific nutrient intakes.

During this age emotional eating is prevalent. Many crave sugar and fat and succumb to that temptation to gorge on junk food. These results in a lower intake of a vitamin A, folic acid, fiber, iron, calcium, and zinc than is recommended

According to one study the low intake of iron and calcium among adolescent girls is of particular concern. Iron deficiency can impair cognitive function and physical performance, and inadequate calcium intake may increase fracture risk during adolescence and the risk of developing osteoporosis in later life.

If your adolescent seems stressed or sick then take him or her to a doctor. The culprit could very well be a lack of nutrients in the diet.

To stay healthy adolescents should do the following –
• Eat three meals a day, with healthy snacks.
• Increase fiber in the diet and decrease the use of salt.
• Drink a lot of water.
• For growing children and adolescents, it is generally recommended to watch total fat consumption in the diet, rather than counting calories.
• Eat balanced meals.
• When cooking for your adolescent, try to bake or broil instead of fry.
• Make sure your adolescent is not overdosing on sugar
• Eat fruit or vegetables for a snack.
• For children over 5, use low-fat dairy products.
• Decrease the use of butter and heavy gravies.
• Eat more chicken and fish.

It is also helpful for your teenager to eat by the guidelines established by the United States Department of Agriculture.

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