outer banks child

Reading Menus, Adding Pounds

Starting school means learning health eating habits

by Fran Reynolds

As children change and grow, their abilities and habits also mature. Infants and toddlers spend more time at home, making it easier for parents to plan meals and monitor snacking. Once youngsters start kindergarten, they’ll consume up to 50% of their daily calories at school, so make sure they step off the bus knowing how to eat healthy.

School-age children are quite different because their growth rate slows until puberty. Not only do their dietary requirements change with their bodies, gender-specific nutrient needs begin to emerge. For example: a 9- to 13-year-old girl requires around 2000 kcals per day; a boy of the same age needs almost 2300. (A kilocalorie is a unit of measuring energy value in food.) But not all calories are created equal. And national and local studies show weight problems rise when most of these calories consumed come from foods that lack key vitamins and minerals but are high in saturated fats, cholesterol, sodium and sugar.

Because of busy schedules and poor choices in the cafeteria, 74% of Dare and Currituck children don’t eat the proper amount of vegetables per day, 37% don’t get enough fruits and 27% don’t engage in the recommended amount of exercise. In fact, one-quarter of the “veggies” that kids consume are french fries. No wonder North Carolina is now ranked the 16th heaviest state in the nation. Fortunately, these harrowing stats raise awareness in parents, who now have more resources and reasons to set guidelines and educate their families on making healthy lifestyle choices.

“Parents need to make sure that their children are reducing input and increasing their output,” says the Chase Lucar at the Eastern 4-H Center in Columbia, NC. “Kids who have high levels of energy intake from fatty foods and maintain sedentary lifestyles, get tired more easily and will eventually experience weight-related health problems. Video games and television are also another area of concern because this is when a lot snacking and soda-drinking occurs. As an alternative send your kids outdoors and let them enjoy some fresh air.”

Fall provides plenty of opportunities to encourage kids to expend energy outdoors and teach them how to refuel properly. Explain why they need water instead of soda and how certain foods will replenish their bodies with healthy vitamins and minerals. Remember: you want your kids to stay motivated in taking care of themselves, so get their input when stocking the pantry.

The next challenge is learning how to prepare proper school lunches and helping students recognize which cafeteria choices are beneficial and which to avoid. As the National After School Manager for the Alliance for a Healthier Generation, Michelle Owens works every day to educate both parents and children. “Parents should always talk to their kids and educate them thoroughly about their food choices,” says Owens. “Dining at school can prove to be quite challenging between pressure from their peers and all the choices schools offer. Portion size has gotten out of control, so kids need to be able to take charge and make the right decision. It’s okay to splurge occasionally, but a balance should always be maintained.”

Try posting a food pyramid on the fridge as a learning tool and reminder to make smart choices in the cafeteria line. And don’t think packing your child’s lunch guarantees a proper diet. A picky eater may decide to trade with friends — or worse — throw your balanced menu straight in the trash. Either way — whether if it’s off a tray or out of a bag — encourage variety and work together to determine which foods they’ll be most excited to eat. Because when your child chooses proper eating habits by themselves, they’re learning to become healthy students — and a healthy student is a happy student.

November 1, 2009