5 healthy options for your kids

Childhood obesity has reached its highest percentage yet, tripling over the past two decades. Since kids usually don't buy their own food, we have only the supervision and marketing to blame. Unhealthy food is usually aimed at younger consumers because of the easier influence it has amongst young viewers. It's hard for parents to get their kids to eat broccoli when they have a well-known brand such as McDonald's all over the TV promoting chicken fingers and fries that come with a free toy. It's easier to give in because no one likes telling their kids “No you can’t have that.”

It's not only the food we're providing for our kids that contributes to childhood obesity, but the decrease in physical activity itself available to our kids in schools, or at home. Eventually, unhealthy eating habits combined with a decrease in physical activity lead to a slower metabolism and eventually packing on pounds. 

As parents, teachers, and caregivers we need to be responsible and turn these unhealthy habits around quickly. There's a number of strategies you can do to have your children more involved in what foods they're eating. Have your kids be apart of choosing healthy selections of vegetables or fruits when you go grocery shopping. If your kids help out with the grocery shopping and help cook the meal, they may be more inclined to eat healthy vegetables than when they had no part in the preparation at all. A reward system also works if you have picky eaters at home. Telling them if they eat all their vegetables at dinner for the week, they may help with baking dessert later or have 30 minutes to play their favorite video game or get new cleats for soccer. 

Here are five main foods/snacks that kids are eating consistently today and healthy alternatives for them. 

Juices

Nothing is nutritionally more beneficial than consuming actual fruit and food itself. Whenever there is a juice of anything all of the nutrients usually get lost in the blender or have added sugars mixed in them. The juices in the grocery store are sometimes labeled “cocktail mixers,” meaning it’s basically all sugar, or laced with corn syrup and artificial flavors. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, they suggest 4-6oz. of juice per day for kids under 6 years old, and 8-12oz. of juice per day for older kids. 

As an alternative have your kids help you blend a fruitful smoothie with you in the morning for breakfast. They'll think it's like a fruit milkshake and will have more fun when they're more involved in the mealtime preparation. Still at home, or during/after school activities, water is still the best thirst quencher. Explain the importance of staying hydrated to your kids and set a good example: drink lots of water around them and also carry a water bottle around wherever you go. Growing kids also need lots of milk (soy milk, almond milk, 2% milk) for nutrients like calcium, and protein.

Almond Banana Smoothie (my version of “The Elvis”)

Makes one serving

Ingredients:

1 chopped banana
1 cup almond milk (or milk of choice)
1-2 pitted dates
2 Tbsp vanilla almond butter
1 tsp cinnamon

4 ice cubes

pinch of salt

Directions:

Blend all ingredients into a blender on pulse until it smoothes out to your liking. Customize it by adjusting ratios or add different fruits such as berries. 

Pizza

This is probably the easiest food choice to give in to order. Now with the right toppings pizza isn't the worst thing your kid can consume however, this can be one of the easiest fixes too. I myself always made homemade pizza with my mom growing up. It's inexpensive and fun to make, as well as a great bonding moment. Use whole-wheat bagels, whole wheat English muffins, or whole wheat tortillas as your base and brush on fresh tomato sauce, a hint of garlic, and have a buffet of assorted toppings. Have your counter all laid out with your colorful ingredients to really make it eye-catching such as grilled chicken strips, broccoli, spinach leaves, pepperoni, pineapple, grated cheeses, green peppers, mushrooms, etc. You don't want your child to get used to seeing the greasy delivery pizza and think that it’s normal to have such things. You can make pizza at home with your family and have a fun time preparing your meal in a simple healthy way. 

Chicken Nuggets

These “happy meal” options can be found at any fast food place however, they're usually filled with high sodium, high fructose corn syrup, and some form of dark and white chicken. The scariest of these chicken nuggets/tenders is that chicken itself may not even be the first ingredient. 

McDonald's

4 piece chicken nuggets: 190 calories, 12 grams of fat

Wendy’s 

4 piece chicken nuggets: 180 calories, 12 grams of fat

Burger King

4 piece chicken nuggets: 190 calories, 11 grams of fat

KFC

4 piece Original Recipe Bites: 130 calories, 6 grams of fat

Popeye’s 

4 chicken nuggets: 150 calories, 9 grams of fat

Chick-Fil-A

6 chicken nuggets: 200 calories

*And this is just the chicken nuggets alone, fries, milk, soda, fruit, or yogurt are not included.

Again cooking at home is the best option for making meals for you and your kids. You know exactly what you’re putting in your food and how much. Cook chicken with your kids at home and cut them into cookie cutter shapes that your kids will enjoy eating. If you must fry them, mix 1 beaten egg with oatmeal or cornflake crumbs instead of breadcrumbs,  the chicken will be more crunchy, healthy, delicious, and a sweet flavor. 

Sugary Cereals

Of course, like any kid, I always wanted the cereal with the chunks of chocolate in them, marshmallows, or any kind of frosting involved. I think the commercials have died down a little bit since I was young, but everything I watched always had kids interacting with cartoon characters and having a blast with the cereal’s great taste. 

Always look at the nutritional information on the box. Go for cereals with “whole wheat,” remember “whole grain,” or just “wheat,” doesn’t mean anything. Whole grain could be a mixture of things you don’t know or can’t pronounce, make sure it reads WHOLE wheat. There are more nutritious cereals out there that still have a great sweet flavor such as granola, but don’t include the unnecessary sugars. Your kids can mix granola with milk, raisins, honey, peanut butter, yogurt, and strawberries for breakfast or a snack. Again have your kids help make their breakfast so it’s easier for them to “buy” into it. 

Potato Chips

There really is no nutritional value in potato chips, Doritos, or Cheetos, they’re simply there for a craving “satisfier.” These snacks are usually filled with saturated fat, olestra, and acrylamide: a toxic substance that is created when starchy foods such as potatoes are heated to extreme temperatures. Acrylamide has also been linked to the early stages of cancer.  

Opt for healthier crunchy snacks such as apples with peanut butter, veggies, and hummus, air-popped popcorn chips, or make popcorn at home this way you can control what toppings (butter, salt, etc.) you’re putting on. 

Sources:

9 Foods Not To Give Your Kids. Beachbody Blog. By: Joe Wilkes. 8/15/14. http://www.beachbody.com/beachbodyblog/lifestyle/9-foods-give-kids