MELANIE SNYDER

Healthy Habits Build Healthy Children

Overview

Food choices in children Developing preferences Outside influences

Encouraging healthy habits Positive & negative consequences of habits developed Growth and development needs Quality of children diets

Engaging children in meal preparation Hands-on activities Benefits of family meals

Definition of a healthy diet according to

Mypyramid.gov

http://www.mypyramid.gov/guidelines/index.html

How do children learn to enjoy the foods they eat?

Food Preference in Children

Children like foods that taste good Energy-dense foods taste best

Preference can change as children are exposed to more foods Infants prefer sweet At 6 months, preference diverge from sweetness with

exposure to other foods

Introducing new foods to children can help increase foods preferences other than energy-dense foods

Role of Parents

Parental Influence

Dietary habits develop from their surroundings Parents Family members Other influential people

Preference of foods increase when children witness parents enjoying food

Parents are the role model for their children’s dietary habits

Home Food Availability

Parental Influence

Children can acquire similar habits of their parents Eating out Fruits, vegetables, whole grains, …etc

Younger children are more easily influenced by parent’s dietary habits than adolescents Adolescents have already developed their eating

habits

Role of Parents, Fast Food, Home Food Availability

Food Available in the Home

As children grow up they become more independent More responsibility transferred to children

Increasing the availability of fruits, vegetables, and dairy in the home will increase consumption

Availability of energy-dense foods will decrease the consumption of healthy foods in the home

Home food environment and adolescent intakes (pg 2)

What are some negative consequences for a child if parents do not encourage healthy dietary

habits?

Outcomes

Lack of encouragement Not understanding the importance of eating healthy

foods Risk of childhood obesity Risk of obesity as an adult Increased risk of cancer Lifelong health risks

Positive encouragement Awareness of healthy food options Consuming healthy food options More likely to met recommended daily intakes Healthy habits which can carry over into adulthood

Childhood Obesity

Behavioral Factors Excess energy intake Sedentary behavior

Environmental Factors Home Child care Schools Community

Genetic Factors

http://www.cdc.gov/obesity/childhood/causes.html

Health Complications of Childhood Obesity

As a child Type 2 diabetes High cholesterol & high blood pressure Asthma and other breathing problems Sleep disorders

As an adult Cardiovascular Disease

Heart attacks High blood pressure

Metabolic Disease Diabetes

Cancer

Mayoclinic.com http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/childhood-obesity/DS00698/DSECTION=complications

Reduce Cancer Risk

Study found low cancer association in adulthood with high fruit consumption during childhood

Antioxidants thought to prevent cancer cells Antioxidants help slow or prevent oxidation in cells.

Oxidation of cells can lead to poor immune function, health diseases, and cancers.

Fruit, Vegetable, and cancer (pg. 8) and www.eatright.org

Recommended Servings for Children

ADA’s Nutrition Guidance for Healthy Children

Adequate Energy and Nutrients

Meeting recommended servings is critical for growth and development Growth Retardation Anemia from iron-deficiency Poor retention in school Developing chronic diseases during adulthood

Government fortification and enrichment of certain foods increases intake of key nutrients

Child/Adolescent Nutrition Assistance Program

Healthy Eating Index

Assessment tool to measures quality of children’s diet

Divided into 12 different food groupsEvery food group is given a maximum score which

meets 2005 Dietary Guidelines for AmericansHigher individual score reflects a score close to

guidelinesHigh score means:

High intake for fruits, vegetables, grains, meat & beans, milk, and oils

Low intake for saturated fats, sodium, and extra calories

http://www.cnpp.usda.gov/Publications/NutritionInsights/Insight43.pdf

Quality of Children’s Diets

http://www.cnpp.usda.gov/Publications/NutritionInsights/Insight43.pdf

Nutritional Education

Knowledge alone does not cause a lifestyle change in children

Education creates awareness Variety of fruits and vegetables Sources of whole grains Nutritional benefits

Comprehension doesn’t mean enjoyment Consequences for their decisions are too far away for

children to care Choose the foods which taste best to them no matter

what the nutritional value is

After-School Project and School Garden

At home, how can children be actively involved in meal

planning and preparation?

Hands-On Activities

Grocery shoppingMeal planningFood preparationGrowing a garden

Involving children will create ownership in their food

Activities for Ages 4-6

Grocery Shopping Identify different colors of produce Ask names of different produce Counting produce

Food Preparation Gathering ingredients Adding pre-measured ingredients Stirring batters Help setting the table Grease pans Open packages

Activities for 7-11 year olds

Grocery Shopping Help find grocery list items Try out different grocery markets such as co-ops,

ethnic markets, farmers marketMeal Planning

Pick main dishes and side dishes which the children enjoy

Plan weekly or special mealsFood Preparation

Start by introducing utensils like vegetable peeler, can opener, dull knife and measuring ingredients

Allow increasingly more independent food preparation

Activities for 12+ year old

Meal Planning Child’s responsibility to develop at least one meal a

week Encourage trying new recipes Understand how different ingredients interact together

to create different flavors Encourage creativity and make adjustments to old

recipes

Food Preparation Develop cooking and knife skills Prepare parts of dinner before parents get home

Grow a garden

Family Meals

Meal patterns in adolescent years carry over into adulthood

Nutrition improves with the number of meals children eat at home Foods – more fruit, vegetables, and less soft drinks Nutrients - calcium, magnesium, potassium, and fiber

At 7+ family meals a week Dietary Guidelines were not met in

Fruit, vegetables, whole grains, and calcium-rich foods Daily Reference Intake (DRI) for nutrients were not

met for Calcium, magnesium, potassium, vitamin E, and fiber

Family Meal During Adolescences

Summary

Parents eating habits will be mimicked by their children

Start encouraging healthy habits in young children because eating habits become more permanent as children grow up

Actively engage children through grocery shopping, meal planning, food preparation, growing a garden