Tasty Tidbits for Tots!

Tasty Tidbits for Tots!

It 2pm and the natives (aka kids) are getting restless…it’s snack time. You look in the refrigerator and search for a healthy kid-friendly choice.  I mean they are kids. They “should” be eating healthy food so they can get big and strong. Isn’t that what we tell them?

 “What can I give them?”…  Are you familiar with this scenario?

Being a fitness professional, I hear this many times during the week.  As a mom, you want the best for your children. With so much misleading information on nutrition, I am not surprised how often I get that question (I am shocked it isn’t every five minutes). 

 America’s obesity rate continues to sky rocket.  Diabetes is on the rise along with Metabolic Syndrome. The next generation has a great deal of work ahead of them if they want to avoid the debilitating medical issues that arise from being overweight.  It starts with parents. By parents educating themselves first, it gives children a healthy advantage for the future.  Parents can begin by teaching their children the importance of eating fruits and vegetables, eliminating refined sugars and saturated fats.  Now this is not going to work if you are telling them to eat right while you are eating a double cheeseburger with fries. Teach by showing!  Kids learn more from seeing than from hearing (think about how many times you have told them to do something and it still never seems to get done). Let your kids see that you take care of yourself by exercising and eating right.  Whether you think they are absorbing the concept or not …I can assure you they are!

Where to Start

Don’t assume that your kids are young and will “burn it off”.  The eating habits that are instilled in them while they are young will stay with them for the rest of their lives. So if you can start them at a young age… great! If not there is no time like the present. I recommend having 5-6 meals per day for all my clients. The same goes for kids.  This insures that blood sugar levels stay even-keeled (i.e. less …ehem…shall we say “emotional outbursts”). Prepare meals that are balanced.  These are meals that consist of certain types of lean protein, starchy and fibrous carbohydrates and healthy fats.

Forgive yourself

Healthy living is not about perfection but consistency.  You are not always going to achieve a well balanced meal every single time.  Forgive yourself and move on. For instance, when you find yourself confronted with less than ideal food choices, try to find the healthiest option you can out of the selection that is offered.   The best way to compensate for those times is make sure your kids (and yourself) are eating healthy 90% of the time and by giving them a good quality daily multivitamin. 

Ideas for quick snacks

Here are some quick and easy snack choices for your “natives”:

• Ants on a Log- celery stick with peanut butter and raisins
• Low fat cheese stick and apple slices
• Low fat Cottage Cheese and pineapple
• Smoothies with fruit and silken tofu
• Homemade pita chips (cut up tortilla and bake with different spices) and hummus (also great with carrots, peppers or celery)

For those picky eaters

Are your thinking “My kids will never eat that!”?  By no means am I advocating to starve your kids but if healthy foods are the only option they have…they will eventually try it. Kids are very resilient. One missed meal and I’ll bet they’ll eat at the next one.  They are not going to starve.  Think about when your child wants something, what do they do?  They ask over and over AND over until you concede. Simply reverse the tables on them. If you are consistent with them they will eventually give in. Then you can pat yourself on the back for adding a few years to their life.  Isn’t your child’s future important enough to stick to your convictions?

Nicole Simonin is an ACE certified Personal Trainer and Lifestyle & Weight Management Consultant and the owner of Shape It Up Fitness.